Getting on the recognition ‘train’

Rewards and recognition can be used to boost training for employees and the training department itself

You get what you reward. It’s a universal, albeit underused, principle in day-to-day management, and the training and development function is no exception.

Recognition can be used in training in a myriad of ways. It can make the training function more efficient, learning more effective and help trainers feel more appreciated.

There is a basic three-pronged approach to effectively using recognition in training: before, during and after.

Before training: Without clear goals, success in any endeavour is unlikely and this holds true for training. Training for adult learners has to be highly relevant to be successful.

The most effective training pulls an attendee’s job, with its challenges, opportunities and applications, into the classroom as much as possible. There are a few basic questions that need to be asked:

•Why are employees sent to a specific training session?

•What are they supposed to gain from the experience?

•How will this help them in their jobs?

•What questions do they have prior to the program that they would like to have answered in the training?

Managers should take some time with every employee before they are sent to a training session to answer these questions.

This simple discussion with one’s manager prior to training is a form of recognition in itself. Getting some face time with the person who directly impacts their day-to-day behaviour is important for employees. For many employees the most powerful form of recognition are exactly these types of intangible, interpersonal forms of management support. The more individuals are involved with establishing learning goals for training, the more they are apt to learn and the more the learning activity will be valued by them.

During training: Recognition can be a powerful tool within the classroom as well. The more the training environment can be a positive experience, the more — and faster — the employees will learn.

Recognition is fundamental in helping to get employees to lower their defences and risk participating and learning something new. Complimenting a question that is asked or thanking a volunteer who has offered to share a perspective are basic ways to recognize individuals in training.

Trainers can also have fun in coming up with ideas for rewards that can be used in the classroom, such as tossing miniature candy bars or bags of chips to students who answer a question correctly or having participants applaud after someone “reports out” from a group activity.

Other examples of the use of recognition in a training setting include:

•using an in-class pass-around trophy for certain positive behaviours;

•creating an on-the-spot award and asking participants to make it meaningful in reinforcing the use of newly learned behaviours back on the job; and

•providing certificates for participants to complete about something they have learned in the training, and having the certificate presented to the person by a partner.

Training sessions should include some discussion and brainstorming by attendees on ways to ensure the training sticks and can be reinforced back on the job. It’s also a good idea to come up with ways attendees can hold themselves accountable to their commitment to apply what they’ve learned back at work.

After training: For training to be used and ingrained it needs to be reinforced on the job. The more the training can be discussed, shared and practised, the greater the chance a transfer of learning will take place.

All attendees should have a post-training meeting with their managers to discuss how the training went, if they got all their questions answered and ways the training will be implemented on the job.

This simple discussion doesn’t have to take a lot of time, but it’s important in highlighting the training and the expectations that it actually be used.

The manager plays a significant role in reinforcing learning both by having this discussion and systematically looking for ways to notice and thank the employee as she uses the training in her day-to-day activities. Progressive managers could even discuss the employee’s preferences for how she would like to be recognized as she applies the new knowledge.

Another effective way to call attention to what was learned is to make it a standard practice for employees to share one or more of the new skills they received from any training they attend with the work group.

In addition to helping those employees crystallize their new knowledge, this encourages the group to value the training experience and what can be learned from it, promoting an attitude of constant learning and improvement among staff.

The training and development staff

Recognition can, and should, be used to build the morale and pride of the training staff as they make progress toward departmental goals.

Elsie Tamayo’s experience provides an interesting example of how this can work. Tamayo used recognition to turn around the morale, pride and productivity of the training department when she was training director for the City of San Diego’s Department of Social Services.

When Tamayo started in her position, employee morale was low and the group’s identity in the organization weak. She met with the 13 employees in her department and asked how they wanted to be perceived by the organization. The group created its own identity as the “Training and Development Centre,” created a logo and painted it on the outside and in the lobby of their building.

Everyone got business cards — for the first time — with the new department logo.

At each department meeting Tamayo solicited the help of one employee to come up with a fun way of rewarding another employee in the group. To announce one employee’s promotion, the group paraded through the building. Another employee was presented with an Energizer bunny because they “kept going and going and going,” helping others when needed. A toy roadrunner was given to someone who worked quickly.

Tamayo started each department meeting by reading letters written to her praising the department or people in it. She also continually gave the group the latest information she had about developments in the organization.

Once a week every person in her department was given an hour to meet with her to talk about anything they wanted to discuss. Many of the initial meetings were less than 10 minutes but over time everyone came to use a full hour. Employees would discuss results from a training session and how they could improve, problems they were having with other employees and ways to improve their skills and career potential.

Tamayo used numbers as recognition to increase the visibility of the group’s achievements. For example the number of employees trained each month was tracked, as were cost-saving ideas, and progress was communicated throughout the organization. In the department flip charts were hung publicly tracking progress toward different goals and special degrees were awarded to trainers and managers who trained 1,000 hours.

Tamayo used spontaneous rewards as well, including quick handwritten notes or a note on a flip chart that read something like “you really handled the meeting well yesterday” with specific notes on why the activity was important. She then posted the flip chart on the person’s door.

She often let people come in late the next day after finishing a training session. She also bartered her training services with other training companies to get training slots for her group members or facilities for an off-site retreat. Tamayo also started a self-development library and positioned use of it as a reward.

She also hosted a fake marathon where all the project members wore T-shirts and were awarded “record albums” — actual LPs with new labels and jackets to fit the achievements of individuals in the group — which were handed out during a mock marathon celebration.

The team was also given half a day each month as an “R&R” (rewards and recognition) day in which it would come up with things it wanted to do together to celebrate successes along the way. Activities included taking the train to Los Angeles to visit a museum, going shopping in Mexico and going to the zoo.

Since rapport is built through shared experiences, this activity not only reinforced desired performance but it also helped to build a sense of group pride and cohesiveness.

All these activities were conducted with little or no budget and throughout employees knew they still had to put in the hours necessary to get the job done. Within several months the morale, excitement, pride and energy of the department skyrocketed and the group was viewed with greater esteem by the rest of the organization.

Bob Nelson is president of San Diego-based Nelson Motivation Inc. and author of numerous best-selling books. His latest book is The 1001 Rewards & Recognition Fieldbook: The Complete Guide. For more information call (858) 487-1046 or visit www.nelson-motivation.com.

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