One of the most popular shows on TV, “The Office,” is a great example of how not to present award trophies. In an attempt to encourage and motivate his team, the boss Michael Scott makes it so awkward that few enjoy the moment. Another character describes the scene like this: “The Dundie’s are like going to a kid’s birthday party – there’s really nothing to do, but you’re there and the kid’s having a really good time so you’re there – that’s kind of what it’s like.”
Michael’s next blunder is going out of his way to make sure everyone gets a trophy, thus minimizing the significance of the moment. The key to successful corporate recognition should not be about recognizing participation but rather about recognizing excellence.
Make corporate recognition events fun.
We emphasize the word events because not only is the award itself important, but the act of bringing your recipient up and presenting in front of their peers also has significant impact on the recipient. A recognition awards event can be as elaborate as a huge annual dinner hosted in a fine hotel, or as casual as a barbeque in the parking lot. No matter how intensely you plan the event, it should reflect the corporate image and be focused on all attendees having a great time, with the primary goal being peer recognition and making sure hard work does not go unnoticed.
Team awards should be presented differently than individual awards.
One of the most common questions we’re asked is – what is the best way to present award trophies? The truth is every situation and corporate culture are a bit different which needs to be considered when planning the presentation. Below are a couple of ideas you may consider when presenting to an individual compared to a team.
Presenting Team Recognition Awards
One of the most important things to remember when recognizing a team for a job well done is that every member on the team played a part. Making an effort to thank each person individually is important and will make recipients feel appreciated. When that becomes quite difficult in larger groups, try to single out top contributors like team leads and a few solid contributors. In these cases, even if a name was not mentioned, likely someone that worked closely with a named recipient will feel honored. Encourage team leaders to recognize individuals or the entire team by developing their own recognition program.
Presenting Individual Recognition Awards
Individual recognition tends to be a bit more straightforward, yet the importance of taking the time to lift the recipient up and allow her peers to hear exactly how she impacted the company cannot be overstated. The simple act of taking the time to prepare a short speech can make all the difference in the world to a recipient.
How to recognize work from home team members.
In the new work from home world creating an engaging digital meeting environment adds a new set of challenges to recognizing your teams properly. Many of the same principles still apply – but a unique approach is now more important than ever. Try sending out a corporate trivia survey prior to the meeting to all attendees with gifts presented to the top three winners throughout the event. Allow US Acrylic Awards to create a video snippet of your awards to show to the team during presentation. Open the meeting early to all invited so they can catch up with each other online. Or send a nice item of corporate swag prior to the event and request your team open during the meeting at the same time. Need help coming up with great swag ideas? Let the pros at US Acrylics help you find the right corporate swag to take your meeting to the next level.
Get creative. Think outside the box. Engage with your team.
Stay focused on quality and accuracy when purchasing employee recognition awards.
It goes without saying – our names mean a lot to us and making sure the laser engraving on your acrylic award trophies is accurate could make or break the moment. The first thing a recipient does when you hand them their award is look at his name – spelled correctly and the excitement of the moment continues – spelled incorrectly and it will be like somebody let the air out of the balloon.
Ordering Lucite trophies and awards.
The most exciting thing about acrylic is its ability to be fabricated into just about any custom shape imaginable. Whether casing an object inside a clear acrylic embedment, or laser cutting acrylic shaped company logos to highlight the corporate brand – as a manufacturer we are always up to the challenge and look forward to adding images of unique designs to our years of captured acrylic award images. Let us brainstorm with you!
Corporate Recognition Programs and US Acrylic Awards
We are all products of our experiences – at US Acrylic Awards, we’ve seen and learned a lot from our clients. As acrylic manufacturers for the past 38 years we are committed to quality and accuracy – with a focus on making you look good.
Our broad selection of acrylic corporate awards includes custom cast Lucite® Embedments, Acrylic Award Trophies, and Plaques – each manufactured with pride in the USA. So, if you have an idea for a custom acrylic trophy, whether a circle, block, a globe shape, or tailor cut to your logo shape – our design and acrylic engraving teams are ready to make it happen.
Written by noptim… unleash the power
