The Silver Goblet Syndrome—know what folks value when you want to recognize and reward them.

Years ago I worked at a company that offered a monthly recognition program for which I was eligible. If you achieved the monthly goal you were given a very nice gift…

A pewter goblet.

Let me be clear– it’s a really nice goblet.

The problem was that goblets really weren’t an award I valued.

They collected dust in our basement, and we eventually donated them to charity.

So, why did we receive pewter goblets?

In this case, the manager who administered the program really liked pewter. He and his wife had a lot of pewter in their home, and those goblets fit wonderfully there. He projected his liking pewter onto the rest of the team. His intentions were honorable, but because I didn’t share the same interests the reward, given with all the right intentions, wasn’t inspirational to me.

When possible, provide rewards that are meaningful to participants in terms of what they value. This can be done by asking participants what is meaningful to them and offering greater choices.

#ThankYouThursday #recognition  #appreciation #gratitude #grateful #inspiration