Work and Play, Reward and Recognition
by Matt Weinstein

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Work and play are supposed to be opposites, like love and war. According to popular belief, work is not supposed to be fun. That's why, they all say, it's called work. If there is time for fun and play at all, it is usually reserved for the weekends. Does it have to be this way?

This is not to say that adult life should be all fun and play, but it could certainly be a lot more so than it is now. Especially during the week, and in the one place where most adults spend most of their waking hours: at work.

The phrase "reward and recognition" is usually associated in the workplace with the idea of financial gain or a bonus. But if you can add some fun and play to a financial reward, you can make the experience a long-lasting one for your employees. It increases the likelihood of employee involvement and participation in the program, which is the key to a high-impact program.

A good example of a reward program that incorporates fun was implemented by Wells Fargo Bank in Northern California. The three-phase program, called "In Good Company," was designed so all wells Fargo employees could honor their coworkers.

In Phase I, called "A Cash Award," all the full-time employees of the bank received a $500 bonus and the hourly employees each received a $50 bonus.

However, Phase II, called "A Way to Thank Others," went further. Employees were told to award a $35 certificate to the coworker of their choice. In announcing the program, the bank explained, "Working with good colleagues helps make all our days more fulfilling, and being in their company helps us achieve more."

In the final phase, the $35 certificates were tabulated so that Wells Fargo could give special attention to people who had received the most certificates.

These winners (31 in all) were profiled in the "In Good Company" newsletter, accompanied by photographs of them and glowing testimonials from their coworkers. Then all 31 were guests of honor at an awards banquet hosted by the chairman of the board, Carl Reichardt, and the president of the bank, Paul Hazen.

At the banquet, the award recipients were given their choice of 101 different imaginative awards, including:

Unusual Time With Senior Executives:
A $200 shopping spree at Carl Reichardt's favorite store, Banana Republic, and lunch at Paul Hazen's favorite lunch spot, Burger King - hosted by Carl and Paul. Or the employee could have Carl Reichardt, Paul Hazen or one of the vice chairmen do their job for a day, and train and supervise the executive.

Hedonism:
A two-hour body massage on April 15th, or two pounds of Mrs. Field's cookies each month for the next year.

Family Assistance:
$1,000 worth of elder care, or 20 hours of tutoring for the employee's child.

Field Trips:
A weekend for two in the wine country and a case of wine, or a makeover and pampering at the local salon of the employee's choice.

Office Fun:
A balloon bouquet delivered to the office every month for a year, or morning coffee and croissants for the employee's entire department served by the group head.

Family Fun:
A birthday party for a child on the Wells Fargo Stagecoach, or four annual passes to Disneyland, Magic Mountain, Knott's Berry Farm, Sea World, Great America, or Marine World Africa U.S.A.

Physical Fitness:
The initial membership fee and first month's dues for a spa or health club.

Cultural Improvement:
A world globe on a stand, or one year's worth of selections from a book club.

Entertainment:
Two tickets for a New Year's Eve gala, or local limousine service to a Dodger game, Dodger jackets, box seats, hot dogs and beer or soda for two hosted by Dave Petrone.

And finally, my personal favorite, Corporate Immortality: A menu item named in their honor by the Wells Fargo cafeteria.

But what about smaller businesses, or individual departments of larger corporations, who may not have the budget to replicate the Wells Fargo program? It is the core idea of peer reward and recognition that is important, and that idea is one that can be creatively adjusted to fit many varied budgets. Pacific Bell Directory found a way to adapt the Wells Fargo "In Good Company" concepts to fit its own needs.

It created the "Gotcha!" award that could be presented by anyone in the company at any hour or any day during the work year. All employees in the department were given a supply of "Gotcha!" certificates worth $5 each. They were then instructed to be on the lookout for colleagues who were doing exceptional work. Management and non-management employees alike were given the same number of certificates to award. As soon as a Pacific Bell Directory employee caught somebody doing something right, he or she yelled "Gotcha!" and signed over a $5 gift certificate to the coworker.

"The $5 is just a token," Pacific Bell Directory employee Vance Lampert says. "Everybody known that. The important thing is that it feels great to know that your hard work is being noticed by the people you're working with. I had completely forgotten about the whole "Gotcha!" thing the first time I had one given to me, and the person who awarded it to me made a big show of announcing it in front of everybody. I kept thinking about it all day, and it made me feel good the whole week!"

That is the goal of reward and recognition programs. Another important element is that they bring some fun into the work week. After all, wars are sometimes fought in the name of love, and sometimes work can be fun.