It’s a fresh slate, and time to kick off the year with a word to rally the team. Keep recognition personal, advises Roy Saunderson, President of the Recognition Management Institute, a consulting division of Rideau, Inc.

“Our industry too often trivializes awards and recognition by making it automatic and commoditized,” says Saunderson. Thoughtful, individual recognition can be a powerful tool in retaining employee loyalty,” he says, plus it’s something we can all add to our people skills. Here's how:

Schedule it in. Life gets busy and work demands can be all-consuming. Remind yourself in your calendar to take time every day, or on select days, to give recognition where it’s due.

Lead meetings with a good word. Set the tone for success by taking a few minutes to acknowledge great customer service moments or innovative actions that merit recognition.

Celebrate special dates. Take advantage of special occasions and holidays to enjoy fun moments or informal events for staff to connect. Plan a few for this year.

Improve one recognition skill a month. Practice becoming a more appreciative listener or being more specific in the way you address accomplishments.

Make one-on-one connections. Most employees want to hear how they are doing performance-wise. Schedule regular sessions to give and receive feedback.

Create billboards for successes. Post accomplishments, personal milestones and good news, and customer thank-you letters for all to see.

Give tokens of appreciation. Little things can hold great symbolism, at little or no cost. Always include a note expressing specific appreciation.

Honour work anniversaries. Take time to mark career or service milestones and accomplishments in an appropriate way: dinner, a card, a special gift or plaque.

Mark project completions. After the next deadline, stop and celebrate with the group.

Catch people doing things right. Don’t wait for projects to be completed before recognizing people – steer with recognition along the way.

The last word: Ask questions and mingle with recognition experts on the Employee Recognition Community website, hosted by Roy Saunderson, or find our tips on Gift Giving Guidelines on Ignitemag.ca.

CORPORATE TRAVEL MANAGEMENT
Duty of care to travellers goes beyond borders
If the domestic slowdown is driving your company to seek more international business opportunities, make sure your far-flung travellers aren’t taking on undue risks your organization could be liable for, says Tom Griffin of International SOS Canada, a global health and safety organization. The company recently released a new white paper on employer Duty of Care, outlining legislation and best practices from around the world on how to manage travel risks – a must-read for travel managers, HR and security staff reviewing travel policy. For guidance, see the company’s website or download a PDF of the full 48-page report, Duty of Care of Employers for Protecting International Assignees, their Dependents and International Business Travelers, made available to Ignite readers by SOS International.

INCENTIVES + MEETINGS
Navigation tools help plan meetings at sea
If you’ve ever floated the idea of a cruise ship destination for a meeting, but don’t know how or where to start, Miami-based corporate cruise experts Landry & Kling are sharing resources to help with budgets, itineraries and pitching your idea. The agency’s free site at www.seasite.com includes a “Knowledge Centre" with checklists, sample budgets and group agendas, and a “Great Ideas” section to browse tips for planning association or corporate events by group size. Plus, we liked the ship-shape search function that lets you see what’s sailing on your planned dates, for group bookings or charter.

CORPORATE GIFTS + REWARDS
Promo products rated high in the media mix
Marketers who use promotional products as part of their advertising mix give high marks for these items as effective, budget-friendly ways to connect with customers, according to a 2009 study conducted for Promotional Products Association International. In a survey of more than 1,000 participants, promo products outranked other mainstream media such as newspapers, television and Internet, for their ability to promote repeat business, be flexible within budgets, and achieve long-term recall. The survey was run by researchers at Louisiana State University and Glenrich Business Studies.