Yes its true
… all the money
….all the hard work of budgeting and procuring the right award may be completely meaningless if some of the fundamental are ignored for awards and recognition.
These fundamentals may seem very obvious to most of us but the number of organizations ignoring the basics is appalling.
1. Employees Don’t Know the Why?
They don’t know…
Why someone was chosen as the ‘Employee of the Month’ or the “Best Customer Service Rep”?
They don’t know what was the selection criteria.
They don’t get it why their colleague got the award and not them.
If they don’t know the ‘Why’ how will they change?
How will they aspire for the award?
It’s easy for everyone to know when awards are driven by numbers like “ Sales Achiever of the Year” but when it comes to other awards the answers may not be obvious.
Solution: The selection criteria for all awards and recognition should be clear as crystal to everyone.
Everyone should know what they can do to win the award & why someone else got it but not them so that next time they can make a difference.
2. Awards are given to them at their desks
Recognition is deeply connected to celebration & bigger is always better.
Recognition is most effective when done in front of others.
Imagine if you are sitting on your desk, replying to an email and someone taps on your back and hands over your award. How would you feel?
Does that award have any meaning for you?
Thinking this can’t be true? Sadly it is.
Especially when it comes to Long Service Award in large organizations where awards are handed over to department heads who intern give to different Team leads to distribute within their team.
When & how the awards are given is much important as the award in itself.
Solution: Awards and recognition should always be tied down to a celebration. The level of celebration can be small or big depending on the budget and time available but something is better than nothing at all.
3. Tacky Awards; Bland Awards; Spelling Mistakes
Tacky Awards: Award not finished well, they are falling apart. The glue marks are still showing, colors are not filled right. Reasons can be many but Tacky awards are the worst thing that one can have.
Bland Awards: Awards which carry no personalized message, no text explaining what the award is all about. Often the Award name is not enough unless of course its an Oscar.
The text under the award name makes the award complete. See for yourself which one would you rather receive, the one of the left or right? Yes, these are small details but they matter.
Spelling Mistakes: Your name is spelt wrongly on your award and than no one bothers to correct it or even acknowledge the mistake. Seriously??
At these times all I can do is feel sad for the winner.
For it clearly shows that awards are given out not because people want to appreciate & celebrate what winners have achieved but given out instead to finish a pending to do work.
Winning is never easy.
Winners deserve better.
