So, I received this text the other day from my friend in Baltimore. He wrote: “have a great day selling undeserved praise!”

After I picked myself off the floor, I replied: “What?!”

Let me backtrack. He was in town last fall to take part in ArtPrize, a pretty cool artist’s contest that took place in our fair city, Grand Rapids, Michigan. I got the chance to catch up with him one night while he was here, and our conversation naturally led to our jobs.

When I first told him what I do, he said with contempt, “Oh, you people. You’re part of the problem!” He is my age, and members of our generation (Gen X) fall on the cusp of those who believe in recognition and those who don’t. Clearly, we know where he stands!

But I know that part of that is not just his age, but also because he works with troubled kids. And those kids are members of the Millennial Generation (or Gen Y), who are known to thrive on, perhaps require, regular recognition and feedback. I suspect that he thinks this tendency feeds some of their problems. This mindset represents a pretty typical rift between older and younger generations. Cori addresses this subject very well in a White Paper she wrote on generational differences and how we can navigate them in our lives and in the workplace. You can read it here: Talkin 'Bout My Generation.

As far as being “part of the problem”, or “selling undeserved praise”, here is where I stand:

Recognition done correctly can be a way to appreciate and motivate people in our lives. Done without meaning, sincerity, or merit, it is just a hollow ploy.

We make a mistake if we think that giving praise should be done just because a person needs it. And most people are perceptive enough to recognize a disingenuous comment when they hear one, anyway. Undeserved recognition has no value, no life span, and no strategic outcome.   

However, if we give it when it is earned it can be very powerful. Think about the last genuine compliment or pat on the back you received. It felt pretty good, right? And it probably naturally made you stand a little taller or want to work a little harder to prove this wasn’t just an isolated incident. Maybe it made you feel more valued and even improved your attitude about your work or your situation. These are all results that benefit both the giver and receiver of recognition.

At Baudville, we always recommend that recognition be given promptly after the behavior or performance, that it be sincere (and, if possible, include a handwritten note), and specifically mention what is being recognized.

Follow these guidelines and no one will accuse you of being part of the problem!

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Allison is Baudville’s one (and only) Copywriter. She’s been writing for a variety of media for more than eight 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! 

There is nothing like a Michigan summer to remind you of what a great state this is. The long summer days have a way of making up for all those long, cold, and snowy winter days. Unfortunately, even with our beautiful weather, this summer has had a symbolic cloud hovering daily over many of my friends and professional associates. As I am sure all of you are aware, Michigan has been one of the states most impacted by the economic crisis, and I personally know too many highly skilled people who are looking for work.
 
Having once been in similar circumstances, I’ve now made it a personal goal to connect regularly with the people I know who are back in the job market. What I’ve found to be so interesting in talking with them is that they seem to have settled into a new perspective on job hunting. While yes, there is imminent fear about financial “peace of mind”, many of them are so disillusioned by Corporate America and how disposable they were, that they appear to be more on a soul search than a job search.
 
When I ask them what they are looking for, they unanimously reply that they want to be valued and have their work matter. They don’t care what their title is, they just want to be paid fairly and be able to impact the success of the organization.
 
My question is: when the tides turn, and the job gates open, what kind of influence will this new group of hires have on the organizations where they land?

With new-found grace and appreciation for their work and the people around them, my bet is it will be profound. People with this type of perspective will end up leading an organization, managing teams, or simply contributing to a team—and bringing with them the groundwork for a “new and improved” point of view for corporations; one that puts a higher value on individual contributions, where managers and employees will recognize and be recognized for the little things.
 
I, for one, can’t wait to see how all my great friends and associates introduce the act of recognition and appreciation to their future employers! 

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Kristy is the Vice President of Product and Merchandising at Baudville. Since joining Baudville a little over a year ago, she has been integral in the development of the functional, innovative, and great looking products you see today. As the fearless leader of a multifaceted team of creative minds, Kristy always stays armed with her secret weapon of motivation: candy!

I have the key to a supply room in my office that is attached to a Baudville lanyard - Imagine Believe & Achieve.  Each time I see it in the drawer or pull it out to use it – it makes me stop and think about the power in these three words.   As I was mulling over possible content for this blog, I saw the lanyard.  As Cori knows, writing is not one of my strengths but, she always has some encouraging words that inspire me to push through the challenge.  I also know that I can count on her to correct my errors – did I forget to mention how great Teamwork is?  It is amazing what a little belief can do for me – both belief in myself and the belief that others have in me.

I recently prepared material for a recognition training class for Baudville’s management team.  Along the way, it was an amazing reminder of how much leadership and recognition are intertwined.  Simply put – Great leaders recognize.   Leaders have a tremendous amount of influence on their followers – probably more than they know.  They have the great honor and responsibility to mentor, guide, encourage and nurture their followers to levels of success and excellence that may be difficult to imagine. 

I found studies that show that if we predict and believe that something will occur (good or bad), a person’s behavior frequently changes to make that prediction more likely to happen.  Test it out for yourself, believe, recognize and speak positively into someone’s life on a consistent basis and watch the results.  The best outcome of all is how you feel when you see the positive impact that you can make on that individual and their success.  It’s truly a Win-Win.  It’s fun to watch our employees put on their Recognition Glasses, search for the positive in others and post notes from Baudville's exclusive peer to peer daily recognition.  We’ve definitely got some Positive Mojo going on here at Baudville.  Join in the fun. 

In closing, I must say, “Believe in yourself!”  It all starts with imagination and a vision for the future.  Let’s hold on firmly to the picture of achievement in our mind and watch it become a reality.   Imagine, Believe & Achieve - this is one of my favorite themes – it truly inspires me every time I see it.  Although I absolutely love our new products that are cool, hip and contemporary, this theme will remain on my top 10 list for years to come. 

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Cindy is the Human Resources Manager at Baudville and has over 14 years HR experience. In addition to her HR Generalist duties, she’s the center of positive mojo for the company and heads up many of our recognition initiatives, events and awards. In other words, she’s got it going on!

I’ve written before about how past companies that I’ve worked for didn’t practice employee recognition. At my previous employer, the culture was such that it was hard to imagine them ever doing it. Former coworkers that I talked with about this new job actually thought it was a bit strange. Their attitude seemed to be that it was a nice idea, but not for us. Not for you, really? You’re so confident and content that you don’t need a pat on the back once in awhile? I didn’t buy it then, and I’m not buying it now.

What’s funny is that they were so quick to write off recognition. Maybe they were harkening back to the late 1990’s, when corporate corridors were lined with motivational posters that implored you to soar to new heights, but gave nothing in return. (Remember those?) Partnered with stilted award ceremonies, they garnered more cynicism than inspiration. But recognition doesn’t have to be exaggerated or contrived; in fact, it has the potential to be really effective if it’s not.

If you want to build a recognition program, remember that there is no prescription for how it is carried out—you are at liberty to write the rules and you can make it anything you want.

Think about your company culture. It’s often upper management that forms that culture and the people who stay there long term become an influential part of it as well. It’s up to those players to create a program that they’re comfortable with that’s in tune with the company’s vibe. Don’t like flowery cards? Don’t use them. Can’t imagine ever giving a trophy? Then trophies aren’t part of your program. The core of a recognition program is recognition itself—and that can take many different forms.

We took this to heart when we started developing our latest products. As a result, there is *literally* something for everyone. Within each product category there is a range from traditional to contemporary, simple to elaborate, cheeky to sincere. We’ve also taken the conventional recognition items like trophies and certificates and turned them on their heads (so to speak). So, if you’re thinking recognition has to be serious and formal, you might want to take a second look:

Daily Recognition Paper Trophies            Everyday Certificate Pads          Peel-and-Stick Recognition Notes

Recognition, whatever its form, is vital to maintaining a happy, satisfied, and productive workforce. Find something that works for your organization and go out there and do it!

Times have been tough, and we know that many organizations have cut employee recognition items from their budget. After all, people are just happy to have a job now, right?

Wrong. Employee engagement matters now more than ever. And when the economy picks up, whether your people stay or go will depend on how you treat them now.

And while a single pizza party isn't quite enough to quell an employee uprising, giving frequent expressions of appreciation can do just the trick.

We feel day-to-day recognition is a way employers and managers can begin to work on the long-term retention of key talent and improve morale, culture and performance at the same time.  Day-to-day recognition is defined as the genuine everyday expressions of appreciation given to reinforce and reward positive behaviors. What makes it different than the expected year-end award or service anniversary gift is that everyone is eligible to receive day-to-day recognition throughout the entire year.

It’s a more effective recognition strategy because it reinforces desired behaviors of more people more often. More reinforcement = more desired behaviors = more productivity, engagement and profitability.

Makes sense, right? We think so. We recently wrote a white paper on the subject that is a free download in our Recognition Resource Center. Check it out, and let us know what you think. Better yet, put day-to-day recognition to work. We think you’ll quickly see its effects and never want to go back to a workplace without it.