I learned early on in my sales, marketing and management career that going for “best” was not always the smartest way to advance the ball.  Seems in life and business that holding out for the perfect solution can have unintended consequences; either procrastination sets in or too much thinking delays the process.  The result of this lost time is often negative.  In business the delay may allow your competitor to claim first.  You might lose market share.

The same can happen when contemplating the perfect years of service award program.  Delaying recognition of valued employees because you’re trying to find the perfect time or gift can lead to apathy and resentment on the part of your associates.

Perhaps you are having difficulty attaining approval for a comprehensive, enterprise-wide employee recognition and incentive program. The longer nothing gets off the ground, the more likely gossip, conjecture and misunderstanding will develop. Why let that happen?

So, get a start. Go for better. If you don’t have a formal years of service award, start something.  If the one you have is ineffective, change it.  Get the fundamentals in place first. Start honoring service anniversaries and giving on-the-spot recognition. Keep it simple.  Make it better!

Down the road, you can go for “best”. What other behaviors or business outcomes would accelerate your mission?  What is the most urgent set of key performance indicators to align? How can you assure key stakeholders of an ROI?  Yes, indeed, this does take time and consideration.

However, these “best” initiatives can be layered over what you have started and infused into your program at a later date. For now…make it better. Later…make it best!  Advance the ball now!

Contact us today to find out how we can craft an employee recognition solution specifically for you.  There is no “better time!”

Brant has compiled more than 25 years’ successful experience in the incentive, rewards & recognition industry. He is well-versed in the content, context and best practices to design and ensure effective and memorable programs. Brant currently represents QIC on the Incentive Marketing Association’s Incentive and Engagement Solution Providers Council and has been a speaker and workshop presenter at various industry events.

Leave a Reply