rewarding employees: creating a positive work environment

CHRISTINE PANTOJA-YOUNG, MA, CMCPMESA POLICE COMMUNICATIONS

Rewarding Employees:Creating a Positive Work Environment

•REASONS WE FAIL TO RECOGNIZE EMPLOYEES

•REASONS TO RECOGNIZE EMPLOYEES•HOW TO RECOGNIZE EMPLOYEES

EFFECTIVELY

In the next 50 minutes, attendees will be able to state:

Exercise

•Write down as many words you can think of which would be used to recognize an employee such as “Good Job”•Go down the list and see how many times you have used those terms to recognize someone in the last 2 weeks.

Score:0-3 Poor3-7 Good7 + Great

Reasons We Fail

•Too busy•Not paying attention•The belief that pay is enough•Don’t know how•They didn’t get praise and don’t think its necessary•Don’t want to seem phony•Personality

Reasons Why We Fail

Why take the time?Interesting

WorkGood Wages

Appreciation

Job Security

Working Conditions

The number one choice for recognition is sincere praise given in a timely manner with specific examples.

I have no budget? How can I do this?

Recognition Steps

Decide what to reinforc

e

Be Authenti

c

Formal or

InformalKeep

Surprise

Daily Recognition

Stop and talk.

Put it in writing.

Go public.

Be Consiste

nt.

Pitfalls

•Popularity Contest •Forgetting Average Employees •Acknowledging a group but not the individual •Over-praising •False enthusiasm

Ideas

•Training class or a conference like APCO/NENA •Post a thank you note on an employee’s console. •Wash the employee’s car in the parking lot during the lunch hour. •Create and post an “Employee Honor Roll” in the break room for the highest stats. •Acknowledge individual achievements by using employee’s name when preparing a status report •Make a photo collage about a successful project that shows the people that worked on it, its stage of development and its completion and presentation. •Make a thank-you card by hand.

Ideas

•Cover the person’s console with balloons. •Inscribe a favorite book as a gift. •Establish a place to display memos, posters, photos and so on, recognizing progress towards goals and thanking individual employees for their help. •Establish a “Behind the Scenes” award specifically for those whose actions are not usually in the limelight. •Nominate the employee for an APCO or NENA formal award•Give special assignments to people who show initiative.

Ideas

•At a monthly staff meeting, award an Employee of the Month and have everyone at the meeting stand up and say why that person is deserving of the award. •If your team is under pressure, bring a bag of marbles to work and take a break to have a contest – a sure stress reliever. •Serve ice cream sundaes to all of your employees—for instance if they meet ringtimes. •Give employees an extra long lunch break. •Have staff vote for top manager, supervisor, employee and rookie of the year.

C H R I S T I N E PA N T O J A -Y O U N GC H R I S T I N E . PA N T O J A -Y O U N G @ M E S A A Z . G O V

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Questions?