Awards & Recognition
Podcast Feature
David Novak, Cofounder and Former CEO of Yum! Brands (KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut) on Creating a Culture of Recognition
Building a Winner Team with Tim Schurrer
David Novak is the cofounder and former chairman and CEO of Yum! Brands, which is the parent corporation for KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut. It's one of the largest restaurant companies in the world. When David was running Yum!, he had 1.5 million employees and increased the market cap from $4B to $32B. How did he do it? By creating a culture of recognition. At Yum! they valued every person’s contribution and would recognize people for doing excellent work. So if you want to build a winning team, you need to understand the power of recognition and the impact that can have on the growth of your business.
NWS Awards Program
The NWS wants to recognize our hard working employees through national, regional or local level award programs.
The Department of Commerce (DOC) and NOAA offer a variety of ways to recognize employees for significant achievements and outstanding performance.
NOAA encourages employees to submit nominations for awards sponsored by outside organizations.
The Importance of Employee Recognition
Employee recognition is a crucial aspect of any successful organizational culture.
Employees who feel recognized and appreciated leads to increased wellbeing, productivity, and retention.
Employees who feel appreciated perform better.
Recognition boosts employee satisfaction.
Recognition comes in many forms (formal and informal)
Recognition can comes from different sources (peer, supervisor, and senior leadership)
Recognition should align with the employees preferences
Moments of recognition "foster a sense of belonging".
Recognition can help employees better manage stressors.
The numbers don't lie...
37% of workers say personal recognition would encourage them to produce better work.
People who feel recognized are 2X more likely to say their colleagues go above and beyond
91% of HR workers agree that employee recognition drives staff retention
Recognition Best Practices
Some will prefer public acknowledgment during an all–hands meetings, while others might respond better to a token of appreciation given during a one-to-one meeting. Getting to know your staff and colleagues will help you determine the best way to show them recognition.
Public Recognition
A Wall of Fame
Create a wall of fame for employee wins, going the extra mile, or meeting NWS/office values, and you’ll soon have a simple but effective public gallery. Digitally, KudoBoards!
Values-led Awards
Held on a monthly basis, values awards can involve managers or peers singling out employees whose work has aligned with the
organization’s/offices values.
Social Announcement
Sharing your staff’s successes on external social media is an excellent way to highlight achievements and can help attract potential job applicants.
Private Recognition
Chat Message
A quick message via Google for smaller victories can be a quick, easy, yet impactful way to recognize those around you (as a peer) or your staff (as a manager).
Send an Email
A meaningfully written email can provide encouragement and confidence to an individual.
Thank You Card
A handwritten note is rare. So it would feel special getting a Thank You note in your "mailbox".
1:1 Meeting
A break from your workspace and some undivided attention is a meaningful way to congratulate an employee on a job well done.
Create A Safe Space
Whether you go public or private on the staff recognition front, it is important that you create a safe space that leverage technology.
Google Site Page
This is a perfect place to combine professional and social content with a section on recent awards and recognitions.
Suggestion Box
It is essential to listen to the team and find our what individuals want to hear when it comes to recognition. How do they want to be appreciated?
Recognition Newsletter
Develop a newsletter that's sole purpose is to consistently recognize staff on a job well done.
NWS Awards & Recognition Ideas
Make sure you are logged into the VPN or at the office before trying to access this Kudo Program through Enterprise Services.
DOC Kudos Program creates a space for peers to quickly recognize and show appreciation for the good work of their colleagues. It is quick, easy, and really impactful.
WFO MRX recognizes staff quarterly through an MVP Time Off Awards Program.
The "Dundie Award"
Taking inspiration from The Office's "Dundie Award", there are NWS offices who give out creative awards such as the "Golden Fork Award" at WFO Grand Forks, the "Golden Screwdriver Award" for helping when things break at WFO Duluth, etc. What could your office develop?
The Central Region (CR) Culture Team sent a survey to all CR Culture Focal Points, HICs, and MICs to gather information on peer recognition systems in place across the region. The formality of the reported peer recognition programs varied, but their intent was consistent. Of the 34 CR facilities that responded to this survey, 23 had peer recognition systems already in place.
Learn more by clicking the link above. POC: Scott.Tessmer@noaa.gov
Central Region: Successful Peer Recognition Programs at a Glance!
Starting a Kudos Program can be a great way to enhance the culture in your office! Want to learn more? Click the link above. A Kudos Program at your office will provide an opportunity to recognize your coworkers for small, everyday accomplishments and efforts throughout the year. There are even fun and meaningful incentives! For more information on how you can start this at your office, reach out to Joseph.Curtis@noaa.gov (WFO RLX).
Many offices are now using a Kudoboard to help recognize their employees more frequently. Putting a quick message on the board takes seconds (adding a picture or gif) and it goes a long way in making people feel acknowledged and appreciated. Not only that, but it can help share what others are doing within the office - increase awareness and knowledge sharing.
Recognition through Birthdays
Offices are using creative ways to celebrate birthdays. Some are doing "Cake Clubs" where employees will supply each other birthday cakes throughout the year. Other offices are using digital birthday cards to spread some celebration and cheer. Even monthly happy hour birthday themes are happening at some local offices.
National Compliment Day (Jan. 24th)
National Compliment Day is Jan 24th! So here is an idea from WFO Peachtree City in collaboration with the SERFC - host a compliment wall where those in your office can post anonymous compliments about their coworkers! This "compliment wall" as seen in the image was filled in within a week!! It can positively impact the staff and office morale!
At WFO Missoula they have a "Gratitude Wall" hosted on their google site (intranet page) where it prominently displays recognition in real time. Here is some documentation to help you implement this in your office. A simple act of sharing gratitude helps boost morale and the employee experience. Perhaps an extra step...at each morning ops meeting, the lead can check to see if any "gratitude" had been submitted and bring awareness to the team!