Comments on: Employee Recognition: How One Company Puts Their Money Where Their Mouth Is http://pos-psych.com/news/margaret-greenberg/20070714341 Positive Psychology News Daily - Daily boost of research-based happiness. Authored by University of Pennsylvania graduates of the Master of Applied Positive Psychology program (MAPP). Sat, 17 May 2008 07:23:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: Margaret http://pos-psych.com/news/margaret-greenberg/20070714341#comment-5248 Margaret Tue, 17 Jul 2007 15:31:44 +0000 http://pos-psych.com/news/margaret-greenberg/20070714341#comment-5248 Senia/Dana - thank you so much for your positive feedback! Yes, Unum is a special place. Other ideas to recognize & reward employees in addition to the informal methods? Senia, I especially like your last idea - interview the employee(s) and write a nice article in the company newsletter. Expanding on that idea, what about a video interview that could be posted on the company's inter/intra-net? Maybe it would create a "contagion effect". Here's another idea: with the price of gas, how about a gift certificate to a gas station? Having a small group of employees brainstorm ideas would go a long way in making the recognition most meaningful. I invite other ideas - readers, please share. Senia/Dana - thank you so much for your positive feedback! Yes, Unum is a special place.

Other ideas to recognize & reward employees in addition to the informal methods? Senia, I especially like your last idea - interview the employee(s) and write a nice article in the company newsletter. Expanding on that idea, what about a video interview that could be posted on the company’s inter/intra-net? Maybe it would create a “contagion effect”.

Here’s another idea: with the price of gas, how about a gift certificate to a gas station? Having a small group of employees brainstorm ideas would go a long way in making the recognition most meaningful. I invite other ideas - readers, please share.

]]> By: Dana http://pos-psych.com/news/margaret-greenberg/20070714341#comment-5228 Dana Tue, 17 Jul 2007 04:58:18 +0000 http://pos-psych.com/news/margaret-greenberg/20070714341#comment-5228 Hi Margaret! I can't believe it's been a year already :) I remember attending one of your strengths based workshops with Unum, and being so impressed with the people and the energy there. It's no surprise that they came out with such a wonderful way to reward employees. I really liked your discussion of customer service reps - as someone who has been speaking to them a lot lately, recently installing internet in my apt., I can attest to the power of great customer service. Speaking with many different reps, some just made my day while others made me want to pull my hair out! I know that my impression of the good reps will definitely affect my impression of the company and service as a whole. Thanks for a great article! (and a great capstone collaboration :) Aloha, Dana Hi Margaret!

I can’t believe it’s been a year already :) I remember attending one of your strengths based workshops with Unum, and being so impressed with the people and the energy there. It’s no surprise that they came out with such a wonderful way to reward employees. I really liked your discussion of customer service reps - as someone who has been speaking to them a lot lately, recently installing internet in my apt., I can attest to the power of great customer service. Speaking with many different reps, some just made my day while others made me want to pull my hair out! I know that my impression of the good reps will definitely affect my impression of the company and service as a whole. Thanks for a great article! (and a great capstone collaboration :) Aloha, Dana

]]> By: Senia http://pos-psych.com/news/margaret-greenberg/20070714341#comment-5203 Senia Mon, 16 Jul 2007 17:47:03 +0000 http://pos-psych.com/news/margaret-greenberg/20070714341#comment-5203 Margaret, This is so interesting! It's one of those stories that you just don't expect to hear, and then it blows your socks off. It's almost like being able to ask the question, "How can we surprise our employees who do well?" What are other things companies could do, Margaret, to reward incredible performance? Some thoughts: * Surprise dinners with spouses (in one group that I've heard of, when things went well, the boss used to say, "take your spouse out to a very nice dinner, and bring me back the receipt.") * Celebration dinners with co-workers (less in-depth than an offsite, an honorary dinner for the person who contributed the most to customer service that month) * Short one-day weekend trips as a reward * Extra vacation days to the person who worked extra hard * Surprise bonus * Interview with the star-employee, and send the printed interview to the whole company to disseminate best practices Thanks! Best, Senia Margaret,

This is so interesting! It’s one of those stories that you just don’t expect to hear, and then it blows your socks off.

It’s almost like being able to ask the question, “How can we surprise our employees who do well?”

What are other things companies could do, Margaret, to reward incredible performance?

Some thoughts:
* Surprise dinners with spouses (in one group that I’ve heard of, when things went well, the boss used to say, “take your spouse out to a very nice dinner, and bring me back the receipt.”)
* Celebration dinners with co-workers (less in-depth than an offsite, an honorary dinner for the person who contributed the most to customer service that month)
* Short one-day weekend trips as a reward
* Extra vacation days to the person who worked extra hard
* Surprise bonus
* Interview with the star-employee, and send the printed interview to the whole company to disseminate best practices

Thanks!
Best,
Senia

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