Why this attempt at peer recognition didn’t work (and how it could work)

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It seemed like a good way to encourage peer recognition, but it didn’t work out that way. What went wrong and how could the same idea be made to work for you?

An individual who approached me during a recent book signing described how her manager gave each person four thank-you cards and instructed them to use them to express appreciation to four colleagues.

“We felt uncomfortable doing this,” she said. “What if someone was missed?”

Right off, one problem was evident. By providing four cards, the manager created an expectation that everyone on staff would receive four cards. It’s unlikely that this would ever have been the outcome.

Not everyone would use all four cards and some staff members, such as those who are particularly helpful and supportive, would likely receive more that their “share” of cards, while others would receive fewer cards. Some, such as those who quietly go about their work and assist others in ways that are not always evident, might receive none. Others would be enraged not to have received four cards, even though they do little for which they deserved their colleague’s gratitude.

A better approach might have been to provide easy access to an unlimited supply of cards. That way, those staff members who wanted to write more thank-you cards could do so. Periodically, the manager could remind staff to use them by distributing one or two cards to each person at a staff meeting or attaching blank cards to people’s pay advices.

From the description, it also seemed that the cards appeared without notice. Nothing had been done previously to prepare staff to recognize their peers.

The thank-you card strategy may not be the best way to initiate a peer recognition strategy. The groundwork could have been laid by first scheduling time at meetings for staff to acknowledge colleagues for their support and assistance, keeping in mind the do’s and don’ts of peer recognition at staff meetings.

When first introducing peer recognition at staff meetings, it’s important to let staff know ahead of time what will be happening so that they can come prepared to acknowledge the contributions of colleagues. You can also “prime the pump” by approaching a few individuals before the meeting to help them identify reasons to recognize their colleagues. These will be people who you can rely upon to get the ball rolling.

During the meeting, limit the time devoted to peer recognition to ensure that the reasons to recognize colleagues are not exhausted before the time allocated to this activity expires. You never want to be in the position of having to beg for more peer recognition– “Come on, guys! Can’t you think of any more reasons to recognize one of your colleagues? Surely George has done something for which he should be recognized.”—and then discover that no one can think of anything George did well.

Before moving on to the next topic on the agenda, acknowledge that there wasn’t enough time to recognize everyone and encourage staff to recognize co-workers between meetings.

This would be a good time to distribute thank-you cards or let people know where they can find them if they wish to express appreciation to their peers in this way.

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Have you tried a recognition strategy that didn’t work as well as you thought it should? Tell me about it and together we can analyze what went wrong and identify ways to get your staff recognition plans back on track. Email nmscott@telus.net or phone (780) 232-3828.