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Keep the Ones Who Keep You Going: Recognizing Staff and Volunteers

INFORMAL RECOGNITION

Informal recognition is just that – informal, spontaneous, not-too-structured, and sincere. There are lots of meaningful, creative, inexpensive ways to recognize contributions and have a little fun while you’re at it!

Some Suggestions

When a volunteer or staff member does something that really helps the organization, remember to write down the impact, so when you write a card or give a recognition speech, you will have a personalized message for each person, instead of using the same language for all.

Become aware of individual interests through conversations and observations. And don’t forget those motivators! When you do give recognition gifts, they will be something appropriate and appreciated, and people will realize you’ve taken the time to get to know them.

Creative Recognition Ideas

(1) Everyone likes some sort of treat! Find out what types the people in your program or business REALLY drool over and randomly present them with their favorites. It’s amazing how chocolate, a bag of peppermints, popcorn, or a gourmet treat can make a person smile.

Black Hound New York Chocolates

Savor the fantastic flavors of Dale & Thomas Popcorn

Award winning gourmet appetizers

(2) Make it your business to know everyone’s birthday – and CELELBRATE! If you have a large group of people, it can be difficult to celebrate each birthday individually, but even a monthly birthday cake for everyone who has a birthday that month can be special.

Gourmet Birthday Cakes at BakeMeAWish .com!

(3) Keep a supply of fun cards and pass them out for special or fun occasions such as Halloween, Valentine's Day, Thanksgiving, and other holidays.

Holiday Classics- personalized greeting cards for all occasions!

(4) Proudly post personal notes or letters from happy clients or customers.

(5) Forget separate luncheons for deserving staff members and volunteers, or for staff members from different departments. Bring them all together for a joint recognition lunch in their honor.

(6) Create namesake awards. Sometimes one particular person does something so outstanding that no one ever forgets it. Even newcomers hear the story of how John single-handedly landed ten accounts in one day, or Mary worked every single bingo game for the hockey team. Naming awards after long-standing, stellar volunteer or staff member role models can be a fun way to inspire people towards excellence. It doesn’t even have to involve a plaque or pin; it can simply be a vote at an all-staff meeting and a rousing round of applause for the winner. "Okay, the winner of this month’s Joy Johnston award for selling the most coupon books is…" As long as everyone understands the nature and name of the award, it continues to be a model for excellence.

(7) Create a bulletin board featuring baby pictures of everyone on your team. Top the display with a heading like "We’ve come a long way, baby!"

(8) Plan for a monthly night out event where staff and volunteers can simply socialize with each other. Good ideas include a movie, a play, bowling, or even a stroll through the zoo. If an evening won't work, maybe a weekend afternoon will. Remember those community partnerships? This would be a good time to see whether you can obtain discounts or free admissions.

(9) Go on a field trip. I’ve taken lots of volunteers on bus trips and they always are a hit. Choose a town or city nearby that has a great attraction – a blockbuster museum exhibit, spectacular botanical gardens, or a fascinating archeological site. Ideally it works best if there are a couple of choices close in theme, such as a museum and some nearby art galleries, so people can have lots to do. Even better is a park setting where you can enjoy a picnic or brown bag lunch. Keep the day fairly unstructured so there’s a lot of free time, and cross your fingers for good weather. It’s amazing the good vibrations you’ll get – everyone remembers carefree feelings from field trips as kids.

(10) Have a games day. Depending on your organization, you might be able to be totally spontaneous, or you may have to put some planning into this. Set out tables and place a different game on each. This can include trivia, cards, charades, or board games. Another fun element is a crossword challenge. Put the same crossword puzzle on each table, divide the group into teams, and let them go to it!

(11) Do potluck! A potluck lunch is easy and inexpensive, and it creates a fun atmosphere. I once hosted a "United Nations lunch" that was a huge hit – we had many people from various countries, of diverse ethnicities, and even from varying regions of Canada. Everyone brought along a favorite cultural dish so the variety was endless, as were the conversations. It was a great way to socialize and get to know people better.

(12) A follow up to a potluck is, naturally, a cookbook. Who hasn’t begged a friend or co-worker for a recipe after you’ve tasted a scrumptious dish at a potluck? Gather together all the recipes and have them typed up. You don’t need to go through the expense of publication; templates exist in most word processing software or can be downloaded from the Internet. Inexpensive software can also be purchased for this purpose. You can include the name and a short personal paragraph about each contributor.

(13) Power to the people! Put the talents of your staff members and volunteers to use. Many people have hidden talents they don’t often display in public. Someone may be a great guitar player. Someone else may excel at knowing and teaching the history of a nearby area. A third may be an excellent ventriloquist. Who knows what people do at home? As you develop relationships with staff members and volunteers, you’ll learn more about their hobbies and passions. Put this knowledge to good use! With their agreement, of course, let your people shine. One could sing and play guitar at the potluck. Another could create the monthly newsletter or bulletin board display. A third could bring the cards and board games for your game day.

(14) Surprise staff members or volunteers with Balloons & Flowers on days designated to honor workers in their occupations. And if there isn't a day to recognize your staff or volunteers, create your own.

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