Use tangible rewards to establish a memory

When people discuss the difficulties in reaching a milestone, the accomplishment is meaningful. When managers listen to these discussions with sincere interest and appreciation, the incident becomes even more significant. When a tangible reward is distributed appropriately at this occasion, a mechanism is established to support the memory of this experience and promote its value. 

A week after the employee-driven safety celebration I just described, 1 received a framed group photograph of everyone who attended the celebration. That picture hangs in my office today. Every time 1 look at it, I am reminded of a special time many years ago when management did more listening than talking in a most memorable safety celebration. 

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