Recognition in an anonymous world

The recognition industry is one of those phenomena that one stumbles upon and thinks - oh, people actually do this for a living??

It is an intentionally hidden industry - because when that person gets their moment in the spotlight it is their moment to shine - not to advertise the product in their hand or the many folk whose efforts made that moment possible. We have all heard of the Oscars, but how many know the name of the company that has been making them these many years?

Obviously the industry is hidden for a reason, but that creates a problem when it comes to time to think about how give recognition to your clients or employees or suppliers - or your kids' best teachers! How do you find these products and the suppliers? Would your people like one of those plastic sports trophies, or a mass-produced poster that says "You're so unique, and I really care, really!"

Just as they teach all kinds of stuff at school but they don't teach the important stuff, like how to love and discipline your kids or how to keep a happy family life, so when we are learning about how to run a business it is often the human part of the equation that gets short shrift.

So there are companies that attempt to fill that gap. There are trophy dealers and awards companies that make the physical products, distributors who work with companies to develop their award presentations, and incentive and recognition specialists who try to improve the whole company culture.

The goal is to make the company more effective and profitable of course, and the path to that destination goes through making employees feel more valued and motivated to succeed.

It may be that you only need the physical product - or it may be that your company culture needs a good shake up. That's your call.

If you do decide to institute a recognition program there are companies that are expert at holding your hand through the decision-making process. Do you want to "incent" the entire company, or a key division? Do you want to market the program to your people as an ongoing multi-year addition to the corporate culture? Do you want to create award events at exotic locations? There are a thousand questions - but it's good that someone asks them. And the experts have means of extracting the truth from you - the client.

One fork in the road is the cash or goods question: do you want to reward success with a cash bonus or with a tangible and publicly presentable gift or award?

Another is the branded products versus awards question: do you want to offer a famous-brand high prestige commodity, or some form of personalized award? The former leads to using an incentive company, the latter leans toward a recognition distributor.

So now you've come to realize that there are dozens of companies that perform different and highly specialized functions in this mysterious business called the recognition industry. One way to go from here would be to contact a recognition specialist and see if you click. You could also begin the process of thinking about the awards products and how you envision them being presented, by, say, googling "recognition awards" to start.

Above all this is a good opportunity to reflect on the intersection of employees' lives and your organization, and how outcomes could be improved for both of you. Maybe happier workers would really be more motivated, and more motivated workers would really help your organization succeed in a highly competitive world! (There is plenty of objective research which backs that up.) And often those goals can be achieved through a smart recognition plan.