August 20, 2008
Earlier this month I was in Amarillo, Texas speaking to a group of Human Resource professionals about recognition and we were sharing informal recognition ideas. A Human Resource professional from a local contractor firm spoke about a coveted award in their organization. She talked about how often times on a worksite when an individual is performing at an extra high level and deserves acknowledgement that the foreman in charge of the group will frequently take advantage of a lunch break to make an informal recognition presentation. The presentation requires more then just pulling the crews heads out of their lunch pails and mentioning the individual’s contribution.
The foreman does a little pre-work to insure the presentation is memorable. Without notifying the recipient the crew passes around an extra 2 x 4 and the group all signs it, often times thanking the soon to be recognized crew member. This inexpensive yet, one of a kind award is then presented over the lunch break.
According to this Human Resource Manager, these signed 2 x 4s are consistently held closely by those who have received them. Like we see so many times the act of recognition is very important and then having a unique award that evokes memories of their achievement creates a lasting memory that drives people going forward!
