Ready to offer some employee recognition? That’s great! Employee recognition can lead to improved productivity and encourages workers to stick around, so everybody wins. But for it to be effective, it needs to be done right — and to learn more about the right way to recognize employees, we need look no further than The Office, where we’ll see plenty of examples of how to do it wrong.
For example, Michael Scott awarded Dundies to employees for meaningless, inappropriate, or embarrassing things, which made for hilarious television, but in a real office setting, that’s a no-go. Recognition should be based on positive professional accomplishments, and, to ensure it doesn’t feel like an afterthought or empty gesture, it should be offered in a timely manner with an award befitting the honor … or at least not a random bowling trophy. As long as you’re thoughtful in your approach and make the recognition and relevant awards about the employees themselves, it’s hard to go wrong, but for more examples of what not to do (plus additional tips for getting it right), take a look at the following infographic.
