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Recently a manager folded his arms in front of us and proclaimed: "We tried a recognition programme years ago; it died."
At a loss for a snappy comeback, one of us began packing up his carrot-colored flight bag, but the other wasn't intimidated. With a comforting hand on his partner's shoulder, he politely told the cantankerous manager that there had been one or two advances in recognition medicine in the last few decades that he might want to try.
Now sure, we admit it can happen: A company launches a recognition system in grand style and everyone is excited to begin appreciating each other. The first month is promising, with eCards, awards and presentations bouncing around like beach balls at a Miley Cyrus concert. The second month keeps pace with the first. But after the first quarter, manager excitement begins to wane and some employees wonder how long it will take for recognition to be buried in the programme-of-the-month graveyard.
Indeed, it takes continued effort to create a healthy carrot culture. And it all begins with training.
You can't just roll out a recognition solution and expect everyone to buy in. Most managers are too busy to know how important this is; and even if they are believers most don't know how to do it right. Spend the time to help managers overcome their objections to recognition and let them know how it can further the core values and goals of the organisation. Our research shows training managers on the right way increases recognition usage by more than 30% - which will have a direct impact on employee retention and engagement.
Of course, if you are an individual manager reading this, you can't exactly beam yourself into a Carrots training session (yet). So do your homework. Pick up a copy of The Carrot Principle or The Invisible Employee and take a quick refresher course on the proper way to engage through recognition.
Second, another vital combatant to apathy is a consistent communications strategy. An automotive group in Michigan, launched a tiered performance recognition programme in 2006 to great acclaim. However, even with fun awards and an easy-to-use system, leadership began to see a dip in usage after about a year. That's when they implemented a communication plan. Within two months they were seeing a third more award nominations, and simple "thank-yous" more than tripled.
Their communication strategy included cool email reminders, as well as creative posters and cards plastered throughout their facilities. Leadership also bought in, promoting the programme in presentations and mentioning the stories of recent winners. Now, whether you run an entire recognition programme or you worry only about engaging your small team, story-telling is one of the keys to recognition longevity. Employees need to see that the organisation intends to make appreciating great work a principle, not a fleeting concept. Recognition stories help build and create culture change by providing lasting legends of what it means to go above and beyond around here.
Recognition communication strategist Erika Crocker, has created internal marketing strategies for some of the world's most successful organisations. She told us: "Sharing a great story is powerful, but linking the story to the value of the organisation is the key. A story really communicates what a certain value looks like."
Her colleague Lisa Elias suggests, "A great way to find powerful stories is by searching through the award nominations in an online programme. These stories make wonderful messages that can be put on posters, in company newsletters and posted on the intranet."
Measurement is the third key to keeping a "carrot" programme fresh. It provides the necessary feedback to help show senior leaders how your organisation is moving the needle with its recognition strategy.
If you're a manager, you can measure the effectiveness of your efforts by looking at turnover and by asking employees qualitative questions such as: "Do you feel recognised for your contributions?" or "Do you have any achievements that I've failed to recognise that you feel particularly proud of?"
If you are in charge of recognition, a simple measure is the number of nominations and awards being given each month. A more complex assessment may include a baseline survey and then a re-measurement every six months.
Overall, you'll find it's not rocket science. Recognition is common sense that is, unfortunately, uncommonly practiced. Training, communication and measurement are three simple strategies that can help appreciation become a part of your leadership DNA, helping you to build an engaging, robust "Carrot Culture".