Use Peer Recognition to Get Behind the Scenes
When was the last time you went to the movies and said "Wow! That was some great body rustle in that flick." My guess is never. Body rustle is a sound effect of fabric on skin or the weight of a person's arm resting on a table. It's something that you don’t notice unless it's missing. Watch a vintage movie and you'll notice that they have a hollow feeling because they lack body rustle and other effects that make today's cinema feel natural.
In the same way that sound effects artists are the unsung heroes behind the silver screen you've got hundreds of people working for your organization who keep the lights on, keep the gears turning and make sure things keep rolling. There's the woman who offers on-the-spot software training to her cubicle mates. There's the fellow who wipes down the counters in the employee lunchroom. Or the person who spends a little extra effort on every customer service call.
How do you recognize this type of hard working employee who keeps his head down, eyes on the road and hands on the wheel? The trick is to ask the neighbors.
One of the strong benefits of peer-to-peer recognition is that it gives you a window into all the behind-the-scenes work that takes place every day in your organization. There are hundreds of little operations that you might never notice - but your employees do. When you enlist every employee in your recognition strategy you can get behind the scenes and down to the nuts and bolts of what makes your business tick.
