Dear Kuntal,
Aubrey Daniels’ book, Bringing Out the Best in People: How to Apply the Astonishing Power of Positive Reinforcement, outlines some important guidelines to increase the effectiveness of recognition:
Money is not the best incentive. Low budgets need not diminish recognition efforts; in fact, employees cite non-monetary recognition has a longer lasting impact than monetary rewards. Bob Nelson, President of Nelson Motivation, states of those employees they have surveyed:
78% say it is very or extremely important to be recognized by their manager
84% say that providing non-monetary recognition as a reward has increased performance
91% say that recognizing employees helps better to motivate them
Recognition needs to have personal value. The best form of recognition is that which is personal. Whether it be tangible or intangible, formal or informal, consider the nature of the accomplishment and the recipient. Recognition must be earned. When recognition efforts backfire, at times it is because staff members believe: a) it was not appropriately earned, or b) it was not focused on accomplishments that they saw as meaningful. Ideally, strive for a balance between group and individual recognition. A sound approach balances:
Type #1 Team rewards for meeting team goals, AND
Type #2 Individual rewards based on peer or supervisor evaluations
The delay must be bridged. Avoid the “Delay Error” where increased time between the behavior and reinforcement results in increased confusion. (E.g. the recipient may wonder what exactly was being recognized, and the givers message looses impact over time.) If one has a limited amount of time, spend it reinforcing the behavior while it is occurring! Communicate specifically: 1) what attitudes and behaviors are being recognized, and 2) what positive impact they had can decrease confusion and increase likelihood those behaviors will be repeated.
Recognition is best if made a daily habit. Aubrey Daniels writes, “Quality and productivity rise when supervisors simply increased their daily frequency of contingent positive reinforcement.” A general rule-of-thumb is to follow the “4 to 1 Rule” where four positive reinforcements are given for every instance of corrective feedback. This maintains a relationship of trust between the employee and his/her supervisor.
Recognition is best if accompanied by a celebration. Celebration does not necessarily mean holding a large formal gala to announce recipients. In fact, some may shy away from such public displays, and not see the event as a reward at all. Just as with the personalizing rule-of-thumb, it’s best to get to know the individual before planning the delivery forum. Whether public or delivered one-on-one, to be effective, the attitude of celebration is key for creating a lasting positive memory of the recognition effort.
Hope I've helped..
Regards
Archana
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