Working in a team became a corporate trend in the early 1990s. Companies assigned more responsibilities to teams, rather than individuals.Yet, most recognition management systems still rely on reward programs aimed primarily at guiding employees toward their individual goals.
Why don’t more companies use team-based recognition and rewards?
The reason is simple. They tried and they failed. About 25 years ago, many companies tried to reward their employees based on team performance.
The results of this experiment were amazingly bad. Some employees figured out that they could slack and reduce their efforts while still getting a good paycheck. The top performers, on the other hand, were more likely to quit. Companies couldn’t afford this to happen any longer.
Employees in Western countries such as the US and the UK prefer to be recognised based on individual performance.
The truth is, in today’s corporate world, teams work best when top performers are rewarded. According to Harvard Business Review, these beneficial results are called recognition spillover effects, because recognising a single team member has a “contagious” effect on all other members in the ream.
1. Establish “Employee of the month” awards
Harvard Business Review explains a field experiment conducted at a company in Northern China. The company had been using “employee of the month awards” since May 2012 for a subset of teams.
“ We found that in teams using such awards, after the award was announced both individual and team performance increased. In teams not using employee-of-the-month awards, we found no such increases. We also found that the effects of these awards on individual (but not team) performance were stronger when the team member receiving the award was more important to the team, that is, someone to whom other team members turned to or relied on to get their work done,” HBR explains.
2. Enter the Awards program
One of the key benefits of entering an Awards program for the entire team is to have the chance to showcase your team achievements. There is probably nothing more valuable for a team than seeing your own work compete and win an actual award.
Telling your story to judges and other business professionals at crowded events such as the UK Digital Experience Awards is one of the best ways to get the recognition and motivation your team deserves. Well established awards like this can provide social media support that is extremely beneficial nowadays.
But don’t forget about new events that already drive a lot of attention, such as The UK Complaint Handling Awards. Being among the very first teams to compete at the awards is a special PR treat, as their media teams will cover the stories about the most effective initiatives.
3. Develop specialist and generalist skills
New businesses often crave for generalists- people who can do many different things in different roles. However, as your organisation grows, specialists are needed to focus on key areas.
If your team has more generalists, think strategically about what types of skills your organisation needs. The more knowledgeable and skilful you become in a particular area, the more likely you are to be noticed for your good work.
Bonus skills – soft skills: today’s projects also crave for non-technical skills such as creative thinking, emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, communication skills, flexibility and coaching.
In a nutshell, having a team that solves problems quickly is the best way to get recognised for your work.
4. Build a network
Building relationships with other people and teams means building a network of “allies” who can help you in the future. Ask yourself: “Is my team connected with other teams and departments?” Nurturing relationship with other departments in your company can give you access to important inside information.
Besides building networks in your company, try to leave your comfort zone and meet other professionals outside your circle. Visited events such as the UK Digital Experience Awards support the unique format of live presentations in the morning, followed by gala luncheons. This gives everyone an opportunity to network as many of the presentations are open for all attendees to visit.
5. Track your accomplishments
Is it hard for you to remember everything you did at the end of the day? Don’t worry, everyone has the same problem. This is why you should keep track of all your accomplishments. If clients give your team a compliment, write it down. If your colleagues sent the compliment in an email, print it. If you exceed the last quarter’s sales goals, get the paperwork that proves it.
These tracks are hard evidence that proves the good job you are doing. It is also a good way to ask for a reward rather than just “feeling” it is time to get rewarded.
Receiving recognition for your work is crucial for employee motivation. According to some studies, rewarding top performers motivates everyone else in the team, despite the common belief that highlighting one person’s achievements causes jealousy among other team members. Do you agree with this? Share your thoughts with other business professionals, compete and have fun at the UK Digital Experience Awards 2016!
The post Top 5 Tips For Getting The Recognition For Your (Team)Work appeared first on UK DXA 2016.