How Recognition Progarms Support The New Model

Introduction:

The distinction between rewards and recognition is that reıoards are usually monetary, and recognition is an action or activity that is not monetary. Examples of rewards are bonuses, cash awards, trips, and merchan-dişe. Examples of recognition are company awards, department or team awards and special events, individual awards, and personal thank-you's.

Attributes of the recognition program: To understand the benefits of each, Tennant iden-tified a list of attributes that define a recognition program:

• it is consistent—delivered the same way every time.
• Some cost must be incurred.
• The recognition is frequent.
• The person providing the recognition uses İnt er personal skills to give personal, specific information about the accomplishment.
• The recognition comes from peers.
• The goal is to recognize the highest percentage of total employees possible,
• Some prestigious awards are considered special and sought after.
• Public display—a high-visibility event—is involved.
• The recognition must be based on sincere trust and respect.
• Specific feedback is provided to show what the person did that was of value.
• The more people involved in the selection process, the more subjec-tive their opinions and judgments become.
• The recognition comes from superiors.

Formal Recognition:

Like Tennant, most quality leaders begin with formal recognition. Intel, Carrier, IBM, HoneyweIl, and others have corporate quality awards  based on quality and/or customer satisfaction measures. The avvards have two primary goals:

1. To recognize employees for their contributions.
2. To communicate a commitment to quality and customer satisfaction at the highest levels of the company.

GTE Directories designs revvard and recognition programs to moti-vate employees to support its quality improvement efforts, and to encour-age performance. Formal avvards include the President's National Quality Team Avvard and the Award of Excellence.

Informal Recognition:

The second dimension of Tennant's recognition program, informal recog­nition, took shape as the company sought vvays to help managers and su­pervisors uniformly recognize groups. informal recognition is given more frequently than formal recognition and less frequently than day-to-day recognition. According to Tennant's guidelines, it depends on:

• The amount of effort the group put into the project, beyond the members' regular job responsibilities.
• The amount of time expended to accomplish the task.
• The importance of the accomplishment to the entire organization.
• The ability of the group to set and meet goals.

Categories of recognition:

1. Parties  or gatherings  (pizza parties,  luncheons,  or coffee and doughnuts).
2. Outings (tours of other companies, visits to custorners or suppliers).
3. Gifts or giveaways (coffee mugs, pens andpencils, or'gift certificates).