Tip #10: Celebrate wins.
When excellent performance is rewarded, it creates an environment in which people choose to motivate themselves and strive for excellence. Part of creating a motivating environment is to recognize and reward high performers. This can be done in a variety of ways, such as:
- Posting performance results
- Sending an email
- Gift certificates
- Recognition at staff meetings
- Time off
- Other incentives
The manager should create a written employee recognition program, laying out the goal (e.g. to assure high performance, employee retention, employee work ethic, and team cohesion), the purpose statement (e.g. to promote and reinforce work that contributes to and supports the goals of the HCV department and strategic plan), and important characteristics and outcomes for the parties involved. A written program lets everyone know what the recognition is for, and assures employees that decisions are based on facts.
Next: Achieving high performance in the HCV program: Tip #11
While serving as executive director of a Minnesota housing authority, Nan McKay started one of the nation’s first Section 8 programs. The agency was subsequently honored with a HUD award as one of 13 outstanding Section 8 programs in the country.
Founder and president of Nan McKay and Associates, she has devoted the past two years to redesigning NMA’s HCV Executive Management course, as well as rewriting the HCV Executive Management Master Book with Bill Caltabiano. The tips and systems described above are thoroughly explored in both, with many forms available on a CD.
