I read an interesting article this morning in Seattle Business Magazine, written by Richard Law, the CEO of Allyis in Kirkland WA.
"Seven years ago, Allyis made a strategic gamble: take the majority of our marketing budget and turn it towards employee care and recognition.... The result? Appreciative employees help recruit the best talent they know, and when great work is coupled with positive attitudes, clients keep coming back and referring new clients. The response has been universal across all generations and experience levels."
One thing that I found interesting about this story is that along with the kinds of recognition programs you might expect (kudos, awards programs, etc) Allyis also embarked on a transparency campaign. Imagine your executive team openly blogging about what they are "thinking about or working on" and putting your financials bare to employee scrutiny and comment.
I admire Allyis's commitment to transparency and recognition, and the results they've achieved. When you think about your organization taking these steps - how does that sound to you? Interesting? Terrifying? Possible?
You can read more about Allyis at their website or in the February 2010 edition of Seattle Business.
This is so true! I just wrote an article on "The Power of a Recognition Personal Note" on my site www.dailyvoicemaildealio.com. A personal touch with recognition gives it even more power to energize your team.
Posted by: Teresa Thompson | February 20, 2010 at 10:25 AM