An Award Jury of Your Peers

Recognition for a job well done, as long as it’s personalized and specific, is always welcome from a manager. It’s perhaps even more welcomed when it comes from a manager’s manager. Or the CEO. Yet as motivation guru Bob Nelson (www.nelson-motivation.com) points out, recognition from one’s peers is particularly special.

“Perhaps it is because everyone knows managerial favoritism played no part in the selection,” says Nelson, the author of 1001 Ways to Reward Employees (Workman Publishing, 2005). “Whatever the reason, you can be assured when employees select someone from their ranks to single out for recognition and praise, that the recognition is well earned and sincere.”

Many companies don’t know how to run a proper peer recognition program, however. Since every organization is different, and faces unique obstacles in making such a program work, Nelson offers examples from a variety of public and private institutions. They include:

The Office of Personnel Management in the Personnel and Management Training Division of the U.S. Government.
The department head once gave the division’s “special performer” a beautifully engraved plaque called the “Wingspread Award.” Eventually that recipient decided the award should be passed on, and gave it to another employee, who later handed it off once again to a deserving coworker. Eventually the award began to carry with it great prestige and pride of possession, primarily because it was bestowed by peers. Recipients were welcome to keep the plaque as long as they liked, but when the time came to pass it on, a special ceremony and lunch were always scheduled.

The Angus Barn Restaurant.
This Raleigh, NC eatery’s peer recognition tool is an award called the “People’s Choice.” Based on a vote by all employees, individuals are honored as the “model employee,” “best team player,” and so forth.

ICI Pharmaceuticals Group in Wilmington, DE.
Any employee who comes up with an idea that helps the business (saves money, increases productivity, improves sales, etc.) or does something extraordinary (above and beyond the call of duty) can be nominated by a peer for the company’s “Performance Excellence Award.” In addition to the recognition and visibility, the award comes with $300 cash.

Meridian Travel in Cleveland, OH.
Twelve times a year former CEO Cynthia Bender has each of the company’s employees write in their vote for Employee of the Month. “Managers always have their favorites,” Bender told Nelson,” but the employees know who pitches in and helps out. This makes employees notice others more and develops camaraderie.”

Blanchard Training and Development.
Whenever anyone performs a work-related favor, the appreciative coworker can give that person a “hatchling” – a gold sticker of an eaglet along with a brief, written summary of the favor and why it mattered to the recipient. Anyone tallying 16 hatchlings receives an “Eagle Award” plaque in a brief ceremony at his or her desk. Employees can also receive Eagle Awards for outstanding single performances. Blanchard reports that employee reception to the program has been very strong, with significant benefits to the organization and morale as well.