I am am here at SHRM speaking at the Globoforce booth. We will be discussing ways to be smarter when it comes to employee recognition and appreciation.

When it comes to recognition, HR professionals want to offer something more than emotion to CEOs. And business leaders are often reluctant to focus on recognition for myriad reasons.

I am no expert, but here are some thoughts from Globoforce about lighting a fire of urgency for these leaders.

  1. Illustrate why the time is right now. Outline your plan for recognition success and identify the goals you will set for measurable results. Share this roadmap with executives to show the timeline for impact on the organization and to create urgency about setting that plan into motion. Show them that recognition is rapidly becoming mainstream, and a delay would cost the company first mover advantage.
  2. Show it can fit into existing budgets. If finding budget is the problem, conduct an audit of existing informal recognition spend and show how consolidating and repurposing that investment could free up money for recognition without breaking the bank.
  3. Consider a phased approach. Best practices show that recognition is strongest when it is equally accessible to all employees, but in the largest companies a pilot program maybe a pragmatic, last-ditch way to counter resistance and demonstrate impact.

Come see me talk at 10AM in Orlando and we can talk about “speaking CEO,” and more importantly, creating a culture of appreciation.

Hope to see you soon!

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