Strategy 1: Connect

Awards nights, Star of the Month challenges

For many people, feeling connected to a mission or others is an essential intrinsic motivator. There are mechanisms that encourage prosocial behaviour and help team members to feel seen for the value they offer to the organisation.

Performance management in itself can help to drive performance, but – perhaps unfortunately – it is also more often linked to a top-down approach to management. What gets measured gets done, but some commonly used metrics can be seen as divisive, encouraging teams to focus on a narrow set of goals or pitting individuals against each other. Bringing an element of peer recognition can achieve similar results in terms of productivity, while at the same time helping to create a sense of camaraderie and more authenticity around positive feedback. 

First off, you should identify the culture or behaviours you wish to reinforce and encourage team members to nominate each other. Inviting peer feedback in this way can highlight the ‘added value’ behaviours that team members routinely demonstrate but are often unseen by management. This could include a positive interaction with a customer, adjustments made to working practices to save time, or making an effort to make a new team member feel welcome. 

Watch out! Ensure that all teams are involved in nominations, and that there is a spread in winners across the organisation to avoid favouritism. Feedback should include references to positive behaviour and celebrate the ways in which it exemplifies success to others, reinforcing the role model effect. Linking this recognition to a gesture such as a small gift certificate or handwritten card from a director or senior manager can help to mitigate cynicism.