As Thanksgiving approaches, the feeling of gratitude grows stronger—but giving thanks shouldn’t just be reserved for the dinner table. Bring it into your workplace with peer-to-peer recognition, a powerful tool for building a positive, motivated culture. By encouraging employees to feel appreciated by their peers (and share that appreciation with others), you foster a supportive and engaged team environment. Here are three ways to incorporate peer-to-peer recognition in your workplace not only this holiday season but year round!
One of the best parts of peer-to-peer recognition is being able to personalize the message to make sure it feels genuine and personal to the recipient. This will create a lasting impact and strengthen team bonds. Personalized messages let you include specific actions or behaviors that stood out and that you are grateful for. If everyone is receiving the same generic message, it will lose its meaning quickly, and people won’t be as excited to receive one or as motivated to send one!
Offering on-the-spot recognition is a very impactful tool for making your employees feel valued right when it matters. Rather than hoarding recognition acknowledgments and dumping them all at a specific time of the month, on-the-spot acknowledgments bring a type of excitement and positivity that will reinforce those desired actions and boost employee morale. Recognition in real time shows your employees that their efforts don’t go unnoticed and are appreciated. When employees feel encouraged to recognize each other in real time, it will create a more dynamic and spontaneous culture of gratitude.
Every organization has its own values and goals, and recognition programs should be flexible enough to reflect that. With a configurable rule set, companies can tailor their peer-to-peer recognition to reflect their culture. Have fun with your program by allowing people to reward others with specific badges such as “Most Positive Attitude,” “First To Lend a Helping Hand,” or “Best Problem Solver.” Building rules around specific goals, such as improving cross-team collaboration or celebrating innovation, helps make sure that recognition activities are aligned with business objectives, making the program both engaging for employees while also providing value and insights for the organization.
Building out your peer-to-peer recognition this Thanksgiving season can go a long way in cultivating a culture of gratitude and motivation that lasts beyond the holidays. By making recognition personalized, trackable, and aligned with your values, you will build a more engaged and appreciative workplace. So, bring the spirit of thankfulness into the workplace and watch your team thrive with a culture that celebrates each other every day!