ALT-1 How to Start a Praise Meeting
From childhood all the way to the golden years, people appreciate being praised for their achievements in life, no matter how small or great those accomplishments may be. This applies within the workplace, where industrious workers will respond to commendation by improving the quality of their work. It is understandable that many companies will organize praise meetings to commend their employees and hopefully, encourage them to excel.
Mark Twain is credited with the wise saying that "a man can live for two months on a good compliment", a principle that all of us have found to have a measure of truth. We swell with appreciation and pride when we receive praise, especially from someone who is in a position of responsibility. Employers who want to motivate their employees to improve on production recognize the value of praise meetings, occasions where progressive and productive workers are commended and possibly rewarded for achievements within the workplace. Gathering the workforce together for a praise meeting calls for some good planning and should be entrusted to someone with good organizational skills.
A praise meeting need not be an extremely formal affair but will probably be better received and attended if it is more of an informal, social affair. While the managers may implement the idea, it would be wise to leave the details of organization to a trusted member of staff who can care for arranging catering and refreshments. It may be an occasion that is arranged to take place outside of working hours and could take the form of a special evening. Others may decide to organize one that occurs during work hours and therefore may be more convenient for the employees. Whatever the setting, a praise meeting should be a positive occasion that achieves the desired goals, to commend those employees who merit the recognition and to motivate all to raise the standard or quality of their work.
The challenge for the employer is to ensure that praising certain members of staff does not leave others feeling unworthy or less capable. A thoughtful employer might think about setting aside a part of the meeting to praise the entire staff for the good things they have achieved as a group before focusing on individual members for special commendation. The company would not want a praise meeting to result in friction and jealousy between staff members, a situation that would be counter-productive. Taking a balanced approach to such an occasion will hopefully see all employees leave feeling positive and raring to go.
Recognition in the workplace has become a very popular means for companies to increase turnover. It is used to invigorate the recipient of the praise while at the same time, set the person up as an example for other employees to follow. It shows other employees how they can become recognized and valued workers with a view to future promotion or salary increase. Whether there is any financial reward or not, it is an established fact that praise and recognition motivates a person to improve or at least maintain their same high standard. Some companies will even present trophies or put photographs on the wall showing the face and achievements of the employee of the month for example.
A praise meeting does not have to be a lavish affair that is time or money costly. If properly organized and conducted, it can be an occasion that brings all the employees together from managers to floor workers and in a setting where they can all feel relaxed. The commendation given to specific individuals can be offered in a manner that does not foster a spirit of jealousy or competition among the workers. The end result for the company is that they may have a group of employees who leave the meeting feeling encouraged to continue the good work they have accomplished and if possible, to improve.
