I received an incredible honor last month, and, in my usual fashion, failed to give thanks where thanks is due. The folks at HR World seem to think that this little CEO experiment is worthy of recognition.
Thanks to the intelligent humans that bother to read this thing, Creative Energy Officer was recognized as one of “The Top 100 Management and Leadership Blogs That All Managers Should Bookmark.” It was in the section on Creativity and Inspiration.
That’s right, I made a list that will NOT be posted at the Post Office or on the Men’s bathroom stall. While I am still on those lists, it was awesome to see someone take interest in what I write.
I am flattered at this recognition especially for a project that is so young. Also, the fact that I am listed with some of my favorite blogs such as, Mavericks at Work, Tom Peters, Seth Godin, Chris Anderson and many others makes this a special honor.
But, what I am curious about is this:
- Have you ever received recognition for something you felt was no big deal? How did you feel?
- Have you ever been passed over for a raise or award and knew that it was due to you? How did you feel then?
If you answered “yes” to both of them, welcome to the human race. Most of us, it seems are ego-maniacs with an inferiority complex. The trouble is being who we are – authentic.
HOMEWORK
How do you recognize people on your team for a great performance or a big win? Do you hold a ceremony or quietly drop something off? When are rewards not appropriate for employees? What type of awards have you or others received that absolutely bombed?
Curious to see your ideas.
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Jeremy Nulik, Creative Energy Officer, St. Louis Small Business Monthly
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Jeremy –
Congratulations on the early success of your new blog! And thanks for the link, I’ve also added yours to my blogroll and subscribed.
Thanks Dan. Again, it was an honor to be listed with you. You have an awesome, gutsy blog. Always great insight.
Congrats Jeremy! That is awesome! And the ideas you’ve been posting merit the honor so don’t be too shy about it.
In response to your question about recognition, we’ve been doing something super-simple lately, and yet it seems to be making an impact. I got an assortment of $10 gift cards (the IRS gets fussy if the dollar value is more than “nominal” value but $10 seems to be OK). Each week at our staff meeting, we catch someone doing something right and let them choose a gift card. Last week I didn’t have anyone top of mind so I asked the staff if they had someone they wanted to recognize. Sure enough, two cards were awarded in a flash.
I need to restock my gift card supply but I’m thrilled with how well it’s working. It’s a weekly reminder to say thanks for all the good work and give someone an extra pat on the back in front of their peers.
Sounds like a great idea, Wendy. Something simple that gets the team involved in recognizing each other is valuable. It would be awesome to see them holding up their peers and reinforcing the values of the company.