Do you remember the first award you ever won? Was it for that championship Little League season when you belted one out of the park? Or did you spell "bombardier" correctly in the 6^th grade spelling bee? Maybe that perfect pumpkin you grew in your backyard took first place at the county fair. Whatever the occasion, your confidence was no doubt boosted by that trophy, certificate or award.

Employees enjoy having their efforts recognized, too. Personal satisfaction from meeting a predetermined goal is nice, but having your boss and/or peers recognize your good work is even better. Want to build employee loyalty? Take a moment to thank the employee who has gone the extra mile, solved a problem, or come up with an idea that will save your company money.

Here are just a few ideas for events or actions that you could reward:

• Safety (especially in manufacturing businesses, achieving a certain number of days without an on-the-job injury)
• Productivity (are your people getting more done with fewer resources?)
• Responsiveness (were impossible deadlines met?)
• Customer service (did your employee go the extra mile for a client?)
• Superior performance awards (for outstanding achievement on a specific project)
• Employee-of-the-month program (how about their own parking space?)
• Attendance (six months or a year without an absence)
• Length of service (landmark anniversaries like one, five, 10 and 20 years of service)
• Retirement

What type of reward?
Developing and maintaining a staff of satisfied employees is vital for the stability of a business, large or small. In a survey developed by a national staffing service, 47% of people surveyed responded that reward and recognition were vital to job satisfaction. Promotions ranked second at 26%, perks were 7% and 2% was classified as other.

M45 Marketing Services has extensive experience in helping companies honor their employees. No matter the size of your celebration, we can create a plan based on your input and budget. M45 can help with everything from finding just the right award to organizing and implementing your company's award ceremony and letting the local newspaper know about your great employees. Everyone enjoys being recognized for their work-related accomplishments, and we can help you enjoy the process as much as the people you're honoring!

“You like me—you really like me!”

Awards are a wonderful morale booster, but there are some you just don't want to win—the Razzie if you're in show business, the Stellas if you have a litigious nature, or the Davos Awards if you're a captain of industry.

And you especially want to avoid the Darwins, if you want to stick around for awhile and then die peacefully in your sleep. Take a look at some more awards that are just a bit off-center:

• The Most Bizarre Robot Award
• World Stupidity Awards

(Griffin received the Heisman Trophy as a junior in 1974 and again in 1975—the only player to win the award twice.)

Winning awards is nice. It makes people feel good about themselves and their efforts. But in addition to the personal satisfaction it brings, winning awards can be lucrative and empowering.

Think about this from a business context. If your business is worthy of recognition in your field, you clearly are doing things right. Your "win" tells your employees, your customers, your investors, potential job seekers, (and even your critics!) that your processes and performance are top notch. The third-party credibility—being selected by an unbiased entity from a field of competitors—gives you newfound clout and access to exciting press coverage, if you act quickly enough.

Are there awards that you or your company have recently earned? Did you receive enough publicity from this honor? Is there a portion of your business that is particularly successful? Should you be applying for awards, but you don't have time to research the options or embark on a time-consuming application process? If that's the case, we at M45 can help. We've worked with clients to earn prestigious awards that gain them respect, recognition, and affirmation that they're really doing things right.

Want to win? Call M45 at 815-232-2121. We'll help you focus your efforts and set the stage for great things to come. Start writing your acceptance speech (or we can help with that too)!

Recently, M45 had the opportunity to team with a valued client, the Freeport Park District, to help them put their best foot forward in a state competition. The mission was to submit an application to the Illinois Park & Recreation Association, (IPRA), a not-for-profit organization and public interest group whose members share the common goal of providing quality park and recreation opportunities for the citizens of Illinois. Individual recognition awards are conferred annually to park and recreation professionals who have distinguished themselves through their work and contributions to the association and their community.

M45 worked with the Park District to produce a cover design, graphics, and photos of park activities for their application. Park District personnel developed a summary that met the IPRA's application criteria. While the event was not selected by the committee for an award, both the Freeport Park District and M45 know it was a winner, and working on the submission together was an opportunity to celebrate a success whether it won an award or not!