Thanks to everyone who attended our live video webisode this morning! If you weren’t able to attend, you can view the recorded version in the Recognition TV section of our website or on our Facebook page.

Today, I shared three steps to starting a recognition program and hopefully showed you that a recognition program isn’t hard to start or maintain. It just takes a little bit of planning up front.

Step 1: Identify what you want to recognize 
Take inventory of any kind of recognition you’re already doing and look for any gaps where performances aren’t being recognized. Maybe you cater lunches for meeting goals or give service awards to recognize anniversaries. That’s great! Now you can build on it with more frequent recognition.

For recognition to be effective, it needs to support your organization’s values and goals. Spend some time reviewing your company’s values or team’s goals and brainstorm what behaviors your team could exhibit that would accomplish them.

Step 2: Decide how you will recognize
Your means of recognizing are extremely important in motivating your staff. You need to consider your employees’ preferences and your budget when determining your recognition tools. Ask employees how they want to be rewarded by having them complete a survey or our Tell Us About You form, free to download in the Recognition Resource Center. While a lot of employees may say they want cash rewards, it’s not the most effective way to reinforce behaviors.

I recommend using note cards as your primary recognition tool. Handwritten notes are one of the most desired forms of recognition, and you can give it immediately after the behavior.

Step 3: Start recognizing!
You’ll need to go out and look for recognition-worthy moments and make recognition a new discipline and habit. Set reminders on your calendar or use a calendar that will remind you to write notes or give recognition to your employees. Keep your recognition tools within sight, so you’ll have a constant reminder to give recognition.

Start giving recognition with your own recognition program.

That’s it! Follow these three steps, and you’ll have a recognition program that will motivate, engage and retain your staff in no time!

Recognition Program Product Recommendations
If you’re serious about starting a recognition program, I recommend a few of our exclusive Baudville tools that make recognition easy.

• Cheers Kit – All of the tools have room for a handwritten note and a memento for the recipient to keep.
• Pintastic Manager – For a slightly bigger impression, these lapel pins and note cards are the way to go.
• Shout Outs – Get the entire team involved with recognition and take some of the pressure off yourself with a peer-to-peer recognition program.
• Peel and Stick Recognition – It can’t get any easier than this. Jot a quick note and stick this to just about anything for instant praise.
  

Cheers,

Brad Darooge

Baudville President and CEO

Teacher Appreciation Week starts May 3, one week from today, and if you haven’t planned anything for your teachers yet, don’t worry. You still have plenty of time! I recently received lots of good ideas in my inbox from to Dr. Diane Hodges, a recognition champion and experienced educator. Diane has really creative ideas that are perfect for appreciating educators, and I wanted to share some of her ideas with you. For more of Dr. Hodge’s ideas for teacher and staff appreciation, visit her website or register for her newsletter. The ideas listed below are from Dr. Hodge's new book, Season it with Fun. 

Working Together is Paradise!
Set a festive, tropical theme for the week. Encourage staff members to wear tropical clothing that reflects the theme-flowered shirts and dresses, straw hats, etc. Decorate the staff lounge with palm trees, parrots, tiki lights, etc. Have daily drawings and award the winners with tropical items such as a pineapple, flamingo items, and other fun, inexpensive prizes.

Decorate a cart with fresh fruit and summer beverages such as tropical punch and lemonade. Go to the various classrooms and serve staff members a tropical treat.

Host a festive staff gathering that continues the theme. Dress up the lounge with summer décor and give each person a lei when they enter. Serve tropical fruit smoothies to everyone-and be sure to put the little umbrella in the glass!

Tea Break
Tea Break Supply the staff lounge with gourmet teas. You could also host an after-school tea party in which you serve tea sandwiches and cookies. Put notes on the tea that incorporate the use of the word "tea." Some examples are:

• Our Staff is Tea-rrific!
• We Appreciate Your Creativi-tea More Than You Know.
• Have a break and enjoy the tranquili-tea.
• Your Generosi-tea Toward Students is Appreciated!
• Take a break and enjoy the simplici-tea of a warm drink.
• This is said with all sinceri-tea: "Our staff is GREAT!"

Handwritten Thank You Note
Dr. Hodge’s ideas are wonderful ways to celebrate school staff and give them a brief break from the pressures of their jobs. If you don’t have the time or resources to coordinate one of the events listed above, however, encourage students, parents, volunteers and others to write handwritten thank you notes to the school staff. Last week I wrote about an ebook that found teacher’s favorite appreciation gift was a handwritten note. Add your personal thanks and lots of sincerity for a Teacher Appreciation Week your school staff will long remember!

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Cori is a Certified Recognition Professional at Baudville and a member of the Gen Y generation. Get her daily employee recognition tips and special discounts by becoming a fan of Baudville on Facebook.

You know a recognition program can help improve employee engagement, morale and retention, but “starting a recognition program” has always seemed to be a large and intimidating project. After all, a recognition program is expensive, complicated and requires layers of paperwork, right?

Not so!

Join me on Thursday, April 29 to learn my three steps that will help you start a recognition program immediately. Sign up on Baudville.com and watch my live video broadcast next Thursday at 11:30am EST.

You can ask your questions live via chat, and we’ll work together on getting around those recognition program obstacles you’ve had in the past.

Our webisodes are only 15 minutes long, so it’s easy to fit into your busy schedule. If you’re unable to join us for the live broadcast, we’ll post a recorded version here and on Baudville.com shortly after the websiode concludes.

I look forward to seeing you next Thursday!

Cheers!

Brad

Baudville President and CEO

Almost a year ago to this day, I woke up at 5:00 in the morning in more pain than I’ve ever felt in my life. As I writhed and cursed the black bean burrito I’d eaten the night before, it became evident that I was headed to the emergency room.

A few hours later, I was basking in the bright, sterile glow that comes after three IV injections of painkiller and the peace of mind that there was nothing serious wrong with me.

It was in this lucid state, with nurses, doctors, and technicians all bustling around me that I had the foresight to ask someone what the hospital was planning to do for National Nurses Week. I wished for pen and paper and braced myself for the onslaught of useful information I would receive that I could share with my coworkers when I returned to work. Instead, what I heard was, “nothing, really.”

What?!

I couldn’t have been more shocked. Had it not been for the expert and attentive care of these professionals, I would…well, I don’t know what I would have done. I was in remarkable pain. And they took care of me with concern, immediacy, and total effectiveness. At the time it seemed like a miracle. And, therefore, a travesty that these individuals would not receive recognition during a week dedicated solely to them.   

Every day, people like me (and those much worse off) rely on nurses and healthcare professionals to make it all better. And very often they do, or certainly do everything in their power to. And the most amazing part is that they often do so after a double shift or while doing five other things at once—all while employing the educated and critical mind required to deal with life or death situations.

Nursing is often called a thankless profession. I can’t think of a better time than National Nurses Week—coming up May 6-12—to turn that around!

Just in time, we’ve designed an all new theme that makes it easy (and affordable!) to thank these compassionate and dedicated individuals.

On-the-go medical professionals will appreciate these useful gifts that give them a constant reminder of your gratitude! Check out the entire collection here.

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Allison is Baudville’s one (and only) Copywriter. She’s been writing for a variety of media for more than nine years, so if she tells you she has been there and done that, she probably has. Before embarking on a career in writing, Allison worked as a department manager where she used Baudville products to motivate her team. She’s what we call a true believer!

Spring has finally arrived in Michigan, and I’ve gleefully swapped all my winter sweaters for my spring attire. After the long winter, I always look forward to changing up my wardrobe and freshening up my house with a little spring cleaning. And I’m not the only one. Spring cleaning and garage sales are in full swing all around me in both the office and the neighborhood. These seasonal rituals seem to refresh and energize our lives, giving us a fresh start for the new season.

Doesn’t your recognition program deserve a little freshening up, too?

This spring, energize your recognition program by taking advantage of Baudville’s version of spring cleaning. Take our Recognition Tool Finder quiz on Baudville.com. Once you receive your results and tool recommendations, sign up to speak with one of our experienced recognition specialists for a phone consultation.

By doing that, you’ll be able to save 20% on your next order! With savings like that, you can easily afford to get some new tools and employee gifts to freshen up the recognition program at your organization. Our recognition specialists will share their product and recognition knowledge to help you find the best ways to get a fresh start on recognition this spring.

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Cori is a Certified Recognition Professional at Baudville and a member of the Gen Y generation. Get her daily employee recognition tips and special discounts by becoming a fan of Baudville on Facebook.