Recognition – You Can Be My +1

Short post today ... watching the Colbert Report the other day and he mentioned, “you can be my +1” when talking with a guest.  That linked somehow in my head to recognition awards that involve travel or some sort of party/event/celebration.

What if...

You gave each of the award earners for any recognition award the ability to invite a +1?

What if you had an award ceremony where you highlight the achievements of those receiving recognition and they then had to invite and then talk about how their +1 helped them get the recognition?  What if you allow those that earn your top performer travel award to invite a +1 - someone who was instrumental in helping them earn the award.  No one is an island.  We all rely on others to get our jobs done - and top performers are no different.  I'm also guessing Management might just be a little surprised on who their top performers pick as their +1.

Think about the goodwill.  Think about the value of extending the recognition outside the confines of the “committee” (I always think Communist Russia when I think of the "committee.")

And this could be used in almost any recognition structure – take Peer-2-Peer programs for example:  If you get recognized by a peer you have to add a +1 to your notification or you don’t get the reward/recognition.  Or if you have a departmental program – whomever gets the award has to nominate and recognize their +1.

If you think about it – the idea of a +1 for invitations to events is all about picking someone you would want to share that event with.  Why wouldn’t that same idea hold for recognition?

I think you should try this.

I think, on a scale of 1-10, it's an 11 (‘cuz that's one more.)

 

Related articles

• Service Anniversaries Revisited (i2i-align.com)
• A little Social Recognition Goes a Long Way (davisad.blogspot.com)
• Active Communications VS Passive Communications in Reward and Recognition Programs (i2i-align.com)

Comments

[Mike Zuehlsdorff]

This kind of reminds me of the movie "Pay It Forward". I think it is a good idea and would definitely help the overall mentality and acceptance of society in general. Try and help those around you who may be in need, instead of living in your own little bubble.

[Mike Young]

I like it! Encouraging people to think outside themselves or the "committee" forces them to content with the fact that no one succeeds alone; team members help us become a success.