See something good, say something good
August 19, 2008 by Bill MeltzerPosted in: Employee education, In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views, Our best management idea, Recognition programs
The best employee recognition practices are often the simplest.
Here’s one that’s recently been adopted at the publishing company where I work: a progam called “See something good, say something good.” It’s a way for employees to bring positive attention to things that their co-workers, managers and the company’s different departments do well.
How it works: The company provides colorful index cards, placing them conspicuously in several commonly traveled areas in the building. When employees and supervisors want to publically recognize someone else’s efforts, they can grab a card and fill it out. It takes very little time.
When the index card is filled out, the employee drops it into a wrapped box (there are two in the building). The boxes are later collected and the cards displayed in a room the company uses periodically for meetings, presentations and quarterly employee appreciation events.
In order to build awareness and participation in “Say Something Good,” management put up fliers around the building, so people from every department can see them, as well as visitors and job applicants who’ve come in for interviews.
The program, which was originally thought up by the head of our product marketing division, doesn’t cost anything apart from the cost of the index cards and paper. There’s minimal administration time, and it takes employees only a moment or two to fill out a card on a fellow employee’s behalf.
But the return is tremendous, and the recognition possibilities are endless. It’s a good way to boost morale, encourage productivity and differentiate the company culture from work environments where the negative things seem to get the lion’s share of the attention.

August 21st, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Great idea! What did the card look like? What had to be filled out?
August 21st, 2008 at 2:57 pm
I am going to try this at my school.
Thanks,
Jennifer
February 12th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
I built on this program for our safety team, 10 cards given to safety team members and managers to hand out every other month, when they see someone doing the right thing with regard to safety. They hand out a card, which they recorded the person’s name, what they did and the initials of the person who saw them. The card is redeemable for a can koozie, with our logo on it. They also get their name and picture on the communication plasma TV. We used old business cards, but you could use any type of cards, we ordered a stamp for the back. Part of the criteria is the person who hands out the card must say thank you to the person seen.