[12] in Staff Recognition
Revision #1 of Affinity Chart for Thanks Group, as posted 5/26/92
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (David J. Hogarth)
Wed May 27 10:13:25 1992
To: thanks@Athena.MIT.EDU, rita@Athena.MIT.EDU, miki@Athena.MIT.EDU
Date: Wed, 27 May 92 10:12:36 EDT
From: David J. Hogarth <davidh@Athena.MIT.EDU>
---> What Issues Should We Consider in Putting <---
--> together Recognition System for DCNS? <--
A. Before we get started
A1) Goals
People/managers nicer to each other.
Encourage certain work behavior.
Communicate values of organization.
A2) Purpose: what are we trying to do; what is the objective?
A3) Are we supplementing or replacing existing stuff, e.g.:
*Annual review,
*Managers' knowledge of staff?
A4) "Thank you" not = "awards"
A5) Set $ budget for reward system.
B. General Principles
B1) Fairness - trying to be consistent and impartial.
Assure proportionate representation.
Equal opportunity for gaining recognition.
B2) Encourage both formal & informal "thank you's".
There ought to be multiple channels of recognition.
B3) People should want to be recognized
Respect shyness of potential recipients.
Should embarrass people in front of large number of people, right?
Reward/recognition system must be respected by staff.
Should not be associated with brown nosing.
Thank you's cannot become trivial.
"Artificial" thank you's are demotivating.
Overdoing it will seem fake.
Awards should not be trivial.
B4) Get staff input as we go along
Solicit all DCNS's contributions/comments on program up front.
B5) Simple.
C. Decide What We Want to Recognize.
C1) What types of activities do we want to recognize,
*group versus individual?
*work versus non-work?
What achievements are worthy of recognition?
Should recognize varying levels of achievement.
Do we want to recognize work or non-work actions?
Achievements need not be confined to "work".
C2) We should recognize both teams & individuals.
Do we want to recognize group or individual actions?
Let's come up with way to recognize individuals & teams.
Recognize individual & group.
C3) Event versus status award = specific act versus general quality.
Should we recognize exemplary or extraordinary behavior/action?
Awarded for doing one's job (meeting requirements)?
C4) Decide between scheduled & ad lib.
Scheduled awards o.k. for specific area, e.g. best support
of recycling for the month.
Do we set time limit or frequency of awards?
C5) How best to communicate desirable behavior, values, etc., to staff?
What are the rewards, values, etc., we want to encourage/reward?
D. Establish Nomination Process
How will the "word" get to the Thanks Group (i.e., process)?
How will we solicit nominations?
Nominations from staff + non-staff.
Let's encourage peer nominations.
Set list of potential nominees: FT, PT, student, contract;
DCNS, IS, MIT, Community, World.
Do we accept external nominations?
Set procedure for "Thank Committee" nominations
(by someone else or of someone else).
Concerned that people may flood us with too many thank you's.
E. Decision-making Process.
Need to decide how we'll make award decision.
The process should allow for manager review prior to award.
Managers should be informed of any nominations.
Permit supervisory veto.
Set limit to number of times/frequency person can recieve award.
F. We need to decide what "rewards" will be associated with various awards.
Set levels of recognition, e.g. paper, Toscanini's, Be-My-Guest Dinner.
How big/small will the reward be?
Cash bonuses - good or bad?
Reward versus recognition.
Need to decide on criteria for each type of award.
Are we issuing awards or rewards?
G. We need to decide how to publicize awards.
May want to have a surprise element.
Decide on degree of external publicity of award
(internal to DCNS or external).
Some recognition of all nominees.
Need to define how we will use "thanks" mailing list.
The "thanks" list should not become a forum for flaming.
Let's set up an informal "thank you" bulletin board ASAP.
H. Process needs feed-back.
Build into the process some review point to ask, "How's this going?"
How will we know if we're successful?
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