Empower peers to recognize each other

Boost morale and productivity by creating a system that allows colleagues to recognize one another. “Most human beings in the work environment rarely know what contribution they are making because no one ever tells them,” says Cary Cooper, a professor of organizational psychology at Lancaster University. Through peer recognition, they’ll be rewarded for work that you, as the manager, never see.

Set up your system with these guidelines:
   • Encourage participation. Make it easy for workers to nominate others for rewards, by telling the manager or filling out a form online. Or set up an employee committee to select nominees.

   • Know why they’re great. Require the workers submitting nominations to explain why their colleagues deserve rewards, and explain those qualifications to everyone when you present the award.

   • Make rewards fast and widespread. Reward employees as soon as they’ve acted in a way that merits recognition, and you reinforce that behavior. Also, don’t severely limit the number of people who can win or you will kill the motivation you seek to create.

– Adapted from “Cheer On Peer Plans,” David Woods, Employee Benefits,