The concept of recognition is as old as time itself. In the corporate world, almost every organisation has a formal recognition program (and every organisation has a program of some sort). The program would seek to energise, motivate and enthuse for extraordinary acts. The program outlines an approach to identifying one-off instances of performance or activity beyond the call of duty, or demonstrating imagination, enthusiasm or customer orientation; the design would involve a small cash award, a hefty dose of ego-gratification (meet the CEO, get your photo and a write-up in the company magazine of e-zine and accolades from your peers, and so on). In most cases, these programs are launched with fanfare, have a great initial burst of energy, publicity and solemn speeches about how important people and their motivation are to the entire business and then …
Almost every organisation reports that the program gasps for breath after a while. It doesn’t deliver the desired results.
