In a Harvard study of  US intelligence units, psychologists tried to determine what factors went into creating high-functioning teams.  The results were surprising and can be applied to businesses.  Teams with “giver cultures” outperformed other teams significantly.

In the McKinsey Quarterly report, Adam Grant wrote,

“They identified what they thought was a comprehensive list of factors that drive a unit’s effectiveness—only to discover, after parsing the data, that the most important factor wasn’t on their list. The critical factor wasn’t having stable team membership and the right number of people. It wasn’t having a vision that is clear, challenging, and meaningful. Nor was it well-defined roles and responsibilities; appropriate rewards, recognition, and resources; or strong leadership.”

The study found that in the best teams, the differentiating factor was how much help team members gave each other.

In most business teams, there’s a balance between give and take.  People give to those who will help them in return.

The article suggests that in the most high-performing teams, members actively seek opportunities to help, serve and support — without expecting anything in return.

Want to foster a giver-culture?  The author suggests several strategies:

• Reward and recognize givers
• Screen interviewees- hire giver personalities
• Leaders should “walk the talk’

Terryberry’s Give a WOW program helps businesses foster a giver culture and easily spot the givers in their businesses.  Learn more at www.giveawow.com

The post Giver Culture or Taker Culture? appeared first on Terryberry Blog.

Live Webcast

Tuesday, May 21, 2013 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM EDT

The post The Future of Employee Recognition is Here…Are You Ready? appeared first on Terryberry Blog.

Today’s WOW Wednesday comes from Nancy.

She says: “At our company, staff with 5, 10, 15, 20 & etc. year anniversaries are acknowledged by The Chairman of the Board during our board meetings which occur four times a year. Each level receives different awards.”

Share your own “WOW Wednesday” tip or story. Leave a comment here or post on Terryberry’s Facebook Page or Twitter using hashtag #WOWWED. Make it a WOW day!

Recognize your co-workers or be recognized with Terryberry’s interactive Peer-to-Peer Program. It’s recognition, social-media style! Get the Free Trial!

The post Service Anniversary Acknowledgements During Your Next Board Meeting appeared first on Terryberry Blog.

Today’s WOW Wednesday comes from Margaret.

She says: “We had a river cruise this year for our overall associate appreciation event.  Everyone enjoyed it and all areas got to interact.”

Share your own “WOW Wednesday” tip or story. Leave a comment here or post on Terryberry’s Facebook Page or Twitter using hashtag #WOWWED. Make it a WOW day!

Recognize your co-workers or be recognized with Terryberry’s interactive Peer-to-Peer Program. It’s recognition, social-media style! Get the Free Trial!

The post Employee Appreciation Cruise appeared first on Terryberry Blog.

Handwritten Employee Recognition

This photo from Terryberry’s own Chicago office demonstrates the power of handwritten employee recognition.   Post-it notes and personal recognition certificates cover the wall– a visible reminder everyday that efforts are noticed and valued.

 “When you get a personal note that acknowledges your effort, it makes an impact,” says Drew Beckeman, Terryberry’s Midwest Business Development Manager.   “It reminds me why I do what I do.”

Want to make a positive impact on someone’s day at work?  Try Terryberry’s Recognizeme kits with 300+ ways to say thanks.

The post Think Employee Recognition Doesn’t Stick? appeared first on Terryberry Blog.

Today’s WOW Wednesday comes from Nancy.

She says: “In our workplace, we start each monthly staff meeting with a pause for Applause. Co-workers have the opportunity to stand and recognize another co-worker. Everyone claps for those being recognized. It’s great!”

Share your own “WOW Wednesday” tip or story. Leave a comment here or post on Terryberry’s Facebook Page or Twitter using hashtag #WOWWED. Make it a WOW day!

Recognize your co-workers or be recognized with Terryberry’s interactive Peer-to-Peer Program. It’s recognition, social-media style! Get the Free Trial!

The post A Pause for Applause appeared first on Terryberry Blog.

Florence Nightingale paved the way for the nursing profession in the mid 1800s.  She began the work that would create a legacy of professionals who comfort and heal. It is tough to find an individual in our modern world who has not benefited from the skill and compassion of a nurse.

“We’d all be worse without a nurse.” – author unknown

National Nurses Week is right around the corner and it’s a fitting opportunity for all of us to say thanks to the nurses who have made a difference.

There are many recognition gifts and programs that are fitting ways to demonstrate nurse appreciation.  A recognition pin with the hospital or practice’s logo is a classic choice.  Health care organizations who implement Terryberry’s recognition collection can let their nurses select a gift of their choice from popular items.

Terryberry has been honored to work with hundreds of hospitals and physician practices throughout North America and Europe to help health care organizations give their nurses recognition they richly deserve.

The post Nurse Appreciation – Nurses Week is May 6-12 appeared first on Terryberry Blog.

According to the newest data from Quantum Workplace, Denver and Sacramento were ranked at the top for cities that do well with employee recognition. Not surprisingly this is linked to high employee engagement. These two cities were #2 and #3 respectively for employee engagement levels.

Charlotte boasts the most highly engaged employees, at 70.7%.

Writes Jacquelyn Smith of Forbes, “The most engaged employees also cited “praise from senior leadership” and “praise from direct manager” as forms of recognition that they highly value.”

Read the full story from Forbes.

The post Top Cities for Employee Recognition appeared first on Terryberry Blog.

Today’s WOW Wednesday comes from Marina.

She says: “We also have a “Atta-Boy” program where an associate can recognize their team mates for going above and beyond.  The associate will come to the HR office to pick up an “Atta-Boy” card and can present this to the other associate who in turn can come back to the HR office and pick out a special treat / snack.”

Share your own “WOW Wednesday” tip or story. Leave a comment here or post on Terryberry’s Facebook Page or Twitter using hashtag #WOWWED. Make it a WOW day!

Recognize your co-workers or be recognized with Terryberry’s interactive Peer-to-Peer Program. It’s recognition, social-media style! Get the Free Trial!

The post “Atta-Boy” – Recognize Peers Who Go Above and Beyond appeared first on Terryberry Blog.

Speaking of workplaces, the human resource professionals of Oklahoma who help to make that great state’s offices, hallways, corridors and cubicles a better place for employees to earn a living will be congregating at the Oklahoma Human Resources Conference  next month – May 8^th to 10^th – to learn from each other and discuss many issues dear to the heart of Terryberry and our core mission. Employee appreciation and recognition continues to grow in importance as HR pros realize the value of keeping dedicated and knowledgeable employees engaged, motivated and feeling appreciated for their labors in the work place.

To represent Terryberry at the Oklahoma conference, our own business development manager Mike Anderson will be there with other Terryberry staffers and you can come by and meet them in booth #44. Mr. Anderson and his staff of the world’s foremost experts on what employers in Oklahoma are doing to recognize their employees will be presenting demos of our exciting Give a WOW social media platform, where coworkers and peers can reach-out using social media to encourage, acknowledge and applaud the actions of their fellow workers at Internet speed. Give a WOW  is a very popular program offering at Terryberry for our clients, and we’re pleased to offer this cutting-edge service in the 21^st century to smart companies who want to communicate effectively and in a timely manner on employee recognition issues while building stronger internal teams.

Considering the intersection of National High Five Day and the Oklahoma Human Resources Conference within three weeks of each other, we’re hoping some innovative conference attendees will stop by and consider trying-out Give a WOW to give a digital and virtual high five to someone in their company they’d like to encourage. We’ll help you do it and you’ll be amazed at how easy (and effective) social media-style employee appreciation can be.

High Fives for everyone, from Terryberry!

The post Happy National High Five Day appeared first on Terryberry Blog.