We all know that it’s important to recognize when our team members are going above and beyond, making a solid impact, or implementing a creative new strategy in the workplace. But, how do we get better at this important facet of work culture and morale?
Well, today I’m going to fill you in on how Xenium’s recognition programs have changed over my eleven years as a Xenium team member. As we grew, our methods had to change. And even though our recognition program isn’t perfect, we are definitely on the right track. Read on to see the evolution of Xenium’s recognition programs.
Creating the first recognition program
It seems like, over the years, we’ve tried it all. We’ve gone from small spot-bonuses, like in-the-moment gift cards, to random email shout-outs to. And then, in later years, we formalized our program. We would have an all-team meeting every month and allow people to submit nominations for “employee of the month.” We would even compile written statements from team member to team member, post them on a PowerPoint presentation, and read them at this monthly meeting. This was really meaningful because we got a chance to see the details of what people were doing and the impact they were making.
But as Xenium grew, this recognition program became less and less doable. What used to be an effective recognition model became too time-consuming, especially when you consider that our team grew from 25 employees to 70 or so. We didn’t want to do away with such a positive and uplifting approach, but the truth was we couldn’t maintain it.
Tying Recognition into the Xenium Promise
Since our team’s growth was forcing us to revamp our recognition program, we decided to scrap it completely and start fresh. This gave us the added opportunity to be more specific about tying recognition into company values.
We didn’t want to get away from recognizing team members’ accomplishments in a group setting — this was so encouraging! — but we did need an intentional, values-based method. The High-Five Recognition Program was the result of our new focus, and here’s how it works:
Anyone who works at Xenium can give another team member a WOW card. Essentially, this allows people to recognize somebody in the moment for pretty much anything positive. Each of these cards contains the four statements that comprise our Xenium Promise:
- Take ownership for my success.
- Speak openly and sincerely.
- Be a source of inspiration.
- Develop and foster relationships.
Team members are able to choose which statement best exemplifies the person that they want to recognize. They can then add the person’s name, describe the action that was demonstrated, and then give it to one of the XCITE team members. Then, we track these recognition cards in our system, and we give the card to the person who was nominated. Then, at our team meetings, we recognize these team members as a group.
The best part? The team members not only get to see the impact they’re making, but they can also turn their recognition cards in for prizes like extra PTO, bottles of wine, or even $100 toward the charity of their choice.
Still Perfecting the Method
I love this approach because it empowers people to take action and to recognize people in the moment. But there are still some drawbacks to the High-Five Recognition Program. Since we have so many team members at this point, that we don’t get to read through the WOW cards at those monthly meetings to see why people were recognized and how it tied into the Xenium Promise. Yes, their names are going up on the board for recognition, but sometimes we can’t give them the honor they deserve because of time constraints. I’d personally like to get more of a sense of what specific impact each team member is making, but we haven’t quite figured out how to make this aspect work.
And that’s where you come in. I would love for you to go check out this card. See what we’re up to and give us your feedback. But more importantly, I want you to reach out to me on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Instagram and share with me what kind of recognition programs your company is doing. We’re always trying to get better, and we can do that by giving each other advice on what works.
Simple Recognition Goes a Long Way
I hope this quick glimpse into Xenium’s recognition program is helpful to you. And I hope that you and your team feel empowered and valued as well. Recognition programs are so important, especially at the grassroots level. Over the years, I’ve learned that recognizing value is how you change company culture.
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