Rewarding and recognizing your employees and volunteers is always a nice thing
to do. But, more than that, it is an important motivational tool that positively
reinforces desired actions, attitudes and behaviour.
There is tremendous motivational power in the simple act of appreciation. When
you sincerely recognize and value the efforts of your staff and volunteers, you
build loyalty and commitment, boost morale, increase job satisfaction and
encourage behaviour that supports student success goals.
| • | Informal recognition is spontaneous
and can be given without much planning and effort (e.g. personal thank-you
note). It is often used to acknowledge short-term achievements or one-time
tasks.
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| • | Formal recognition is scheduled,
structured and planned. It is more strategic because it is designed to
motivate people over the longer term (e.g. annual reward banquets, employee
of the year programs etc).
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| • | positively reinforce a desired outcome
(e.g. helping to achieve a departmental or school success goal)
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| • | be given as soon as possible after the
achievement, so that there is a direct and positive connection between
performance, effort and reward
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| • | be given personally – by taking time
from your busy schedule to deliver recognition, you emphasize the importance
of the achievement
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| • | be meaningful and valued by the person
who receives it
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In addition to individual accomplishments, it is important to recognize group
effort. Your reward and recognition program should promote both individual
initiative and group co-operation and performance. Team rewards also help to
foster team-building.
| • | involve your employees/volunteers in
the planning process – their input will ensure that the program and rewards
are valued and appropriate to the goal
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| • | define the criteria – who is eligible?
What is the reward/recognition for? When will it be given?
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| • | identify the goals and objectives –
what goals will the program help to achieve? What behaviour will it
reinforce?
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| • | explain how to participate – promote
the recognition program in newsletters and on bulletin boards. Make sure
that everyone who is eligible to participate knows about the opportunity.
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| • | apply the criteria consistently – it
must be clear to everyone that the evaluation or selection process is fair
and that no favouritism is involved
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| • | provide meaningful recognition –
different people value different rewards. If you don’t know what would
motivate your employees – ask them!
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| • | give the recognition publicly –
everyone likes to know that they made a difference. Presenting a reward at a
public occasion or special event acknowledges the effort involved and the
value of the contribution.
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| • | send a hand-written thank-you note –
explain in the note exactly why the person is being appreciated
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| • | send an anniversary card to long-time
employees/volunteers, highlighting the value of their years of work and
commitment
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| • | make a congratulatory announcement at a
public event or special meeting
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| • | give out a special plaque, pin,
medallion, coffee mug or other specialty item
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| • | create personalized certificates of
achievement
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| • | post a note on the bulletin board
and/or put an announcement in the newsletter
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| • | order in a healthy lunch to celebrate a
successful group effort or to recognize dedicated employees/volunteers
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| • | give flowers or gift certificates for a
book store or local retail outlet
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| • | take a photo of the person and put it
in a special frame for their desk – present it with a thank-you note
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| • | put a quote about dedication or
commitment on specialty paper, frame it and give it with a note of thanks
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