Recognize This! – Strategic employee recognition is a powerful mechanism for communicating and reinforcing change.

More and more I’m consulting with heads of Organizational Development (OD) as they work to develop strategic employee recognition programs for their organizations. While they might not be the ones ultimately responsible for program management over time, they are tasked with onboarding the new recognition program and helping people understand the philosophy of strategic recognition – how it can help foster a culture of appreciation in which people choose to engage, thereby increasing productivity, performance and retention.

Interesting discussions we’ve had with the Corporate Executive Board (CEB) also uncovered OD and HR executives struggle to get buy-in across the board when strategic objectives change. One way the CEB found to be successful at doing this was to ensure the change is understood and valued very highly across the organization.

OD leaders are finding it easier to not only communicate changing objectives but also help employees understand what those changes mean in their daily work and buy-in to changing focus through strategic recognition. How? By making those strategic objectives reasons for recognition within their strategic recognition programs.

Now, employees at all levels receive positive reinforcement and recognition every time they contribute to achieving one of those objectives. Such reinforcement can also act as a course correction to keep employees on track with new priorities.

Who holds responsibility for employee recognition and rewards programs in your organization? Organizational Development? HR? Compensation and Benefits? Finance? Where do you think it should belong?