Use the Power of Positive Thinking To Get Back to Normal

 While Norman Vincent Peale (1998-1994) was a prolific writer, “The Power of Positive Thinking” was by far his most widely read work.  The book was first published in 1952. Now, over 60 years later, advances in cognitive psychology and neuroscience have added some scientific evidence to his theory. 

These recent advances in cognitive psychology and neuroscience have shown, as the scientists say, “how our life’s ups and downs activate different neural circuits in the brain and create rapid changes in a range of important neurotransmitters.”  In other words changes in brain chemistry can alter how we think which then relates to how we feel and then how we behave.

Consider the following conclusions that were derived from a large meta-analysis combining the findings of over 225 academic studies on employees with a positive psychological wellbeing:

• They have on average 31% higher productivity  
• Their sales are 37% higher
• Their creativity is three times higher
• Are highly predictive to have long-term physical health
• Are less likely to have elevated levels of stress and stress related illness
• Avoid the anxiety that triggers depression

Simply put, these studies point to the fact that negative emotions that are caused by anxiety, fear, anger, stress, self-doubt etc. closes our brain off from the outside world where positive emotions broaden the sense of possibility and opens our mind to more positive options. 

Is it fair to assume that the most engaged employees will be your most positive employees? And building a positive culture will provide some long term positive results.

Certainly, the pandemic and aftermath have made it very difficult to maintain a positive environment when there are so many factions pulling us apart.  But don’t discount the power of being positive whenever and where ever you can in the workplace (and at home for that matter).  It works and can help us all get back the “normal”.

66% of Recognition Programs Canceled?

 

A “Pulse Survey at the end of 2020 by Incentive Research Foundation found that only 34% of incentive and recognition programs continue to operate with minimal change.  As the pandemic lessens, that figure has grown, but it is important to look into some of the reasons why this happened. 

Essentially, in these uncertain times, executives will always look to reduce or delete budget items that are not considered essential to the growth of the business. Unfortunately, some incentives and recognition programs are always in that group.  The 34% of the programs that have remained are those that have are more likely to be considered critical to the organization. About 12% of respondents say their programs are viewed as even more important because of the pandemic.  

Frankly this has been a flaw in incentive and recognition planning for years.  The vast majority of programs implemented did not do a good job of developing, implementing and then measuring and researching the program objectives.  That is still very much the case within generic employee recognition programs where it is a given that these programs produced results.  Some respondents even noted that program growth goals were reduced in order to maintain a “employee motivations.”  

We cannot emphasize enough that proper goal setting accompanied by using a program design with the focus on the goals and then the measurement and reporting of the results is what will keep your program in place.  Not tying your program to overall corporate success can easily put it on the “cancellation list.”

How Did Getting a Reward Make You Feel?

 

Think about the last time you received a thank you gift for your performance at work.  How did it make you feel?  

Gifts have the power to unleash powerful reactions and sentiments. Tokens of appreciation, whether big or small, can convey gratitude, love, kindness, and comfort. Beyond providing a serotonin surge, in the workplace these symbols of thoughtfulness have been shown to improve engagement and deepen relationships with employees, clients, and other important business contacts. 

Take Advantage of the Power of Recognition with Gifts. 

The benefits are undeniable: 

·       A John Templeton Foundation survey found that 70% of those polled would feel better about themselves if their boss were more grateful, and 81% would work harder. 

·       A Gallup poll revealed that companies that have high employee engagement scores outperform others by 14% in productivity, 18% in sales, 23% in profitability and 66% on wellbeing.  

But there is a challenge. Office rules have changed, but the importance of recognition hasn’t. You need to look for ways to create a culture of recognition and engagement that is future-proof. Don’t let the lack of corporate office time impede your employee appreciation program. By implementing creative solutions, you can keep motivating and engaging your employees through remote gifting and team building – allowing employees to develop stronger bonds while working apart. 

According to a survey by Terminal, 77% of leadership had never managed a fully remote team prior to the pandemic.  Leadership has risen to the challenge of fostering remote relationships, maintaining productivity while still being empathetic to employees’ needs, and inspiring them to continue delivering strong work.

 

How the Pandemic Year Changed Employee Recognition

 

The pandemic has made it very difficult to manage teams and individuals for improved performance.  In the virtual world that sprang up almost immediately out of necessity, it became harder to measure employee’s needs, celebrate successes and make employees feel valued.  At the same time, HR professionals agreed that taking steps to maintain a strong culture that included frequent recognition was paramount.  

And it’s starting to look like the virtual work week, in all or in part, will be a future reality as many companies seem to be moving in that direction with hybrid models of remote work and office time combined even when it’s safe to return to work. 

It might be beneficial to take a look at how businesses have shifted their recognition strategies to meet these future challenges.  As employees continue to work in new and unfamiliar environments, it is critical to find new ways to inspire improved performance while maintaining a strong feeling of connectivity to the company. 

The marriage of clear communications with an ongoing recognition effort can be a differentiator in achieving results.  As it has been from the beginning of the recognition industry, thoughtful and meaningful communications set up the performance you’re trying to achieve and recognition reinforcement can then turn that performance into a habit.  It will help build a more engaged and effective work-home environment. 

In recent surveys the Incentive Recognition Federation (IRF) has noted the following changes in recognition over the pandemic: 

Increased Purchases of Gift Cards and Merchandise

The IRF showed a 26% increase in the use of gift cards in workplace incentive programs since the pandemic started. They noted that: 

“Gift cards, especially, allow for high levels of flexibility, creativity, efficiency and speed when used to motivate important audiences during the pandemic.” 

Much of this was due to incentive travel programs, corporate meetings, and other business events being canceled and replaced with gift cards and merchandise.  The IRF industry outlook for 2021 reports an overall predicted net increase of 33% for gift cards and 24% for merchandise. The average value of a award ranged from $160 to $225. 

Awards Benefited a Wider Audience 

The IRF reports that lower-priced merchandise and gift cards proved to be effective motivators to broader audiences during the pandemic, and many incentive program owners are applying the lessons learned in 2021 and beyond.  For example, in place of expensive travel programs or special events being attended by only a top tier performing group, the size of the top tiers is being reduced and gift cards and merchandise are added at second and third tiers.  The same or fewer budget dollars are allowing for a wider audience.  

During recovery, it might be necessary to rebuild morale, engagement, trust and collegiality, and these are behaviors that the majority of employees must observe to move the needle. Incentive and recognition program owners may be identifying and rewarding many new behaviors that will reestablish new corporate cultures. Many of these efforts could involve smaller, frequent rewards on a larger scale. 

The mainstay of the incentive travel industry has been the high-end sales and distribution programs favored by executives, many of whom attended these trips as hosts.  But by their nature only the top 5% to 10% of their employees were earning the awards.  The middle 60% of producers were often forgotten, which is a distinct missed opportunity especially as companies work to recover and rebuild when every employee needs to give the incremental effort.  Showing all your employees they are appreciated is at the core of what drives performance. 

Expanding Digital Delivery 

More and more companies took advantage of the digital delivery option of awards for obvious reasons.  The IRF reports that many lessons were learned about the power of virtual engagement. 

“Digital options enable immediate, coordinated, trackable delivery of rewards regardless of geographic location, and groups of employees can receive their reward at the same time, such as during a virtual meeting. Digital delivery can also increase control, enhance reporting, and reduce overall administration time for program owners.” 

The IRF is encouraged by companies’ focus on maintaining a positive corporate culture and keeping workers motivated during the pandemic. IRF officials feel that bodes well for incentive and reward use this year and beyond.