The Roadmap To Recognition

Creating a program to show that every employee matters

By Annie Olson

No matter the size of a park agency, all of them struggle with resource needs. However, what some people often don’t recognize is that the most valuable resource of any organization is its employees. At the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB), a 2015 assessment of employee satisfaction resulted in the formation of a dedicated staff team to boost employee morale. This was the beginning of an effort to create a culture of recognition and appreciation throughout the agency.

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Identifying Opportunities

The MPRB employs roughly 600 full-time, certified staff members and approximately 1,000 seasonal staff annually. Leaders took the results of the employee work culture and climate assessment seriously, working with staff members across the organization to create an action plan divided into focus areas. One of these was recognition of employees. Although three actions were included in this category, an ongoing recognition of employees has had a long-lasting impact. In February 2016, 11 employees who represent functions across the agency of all levels and tenure formed a Recognition Team. “As an employee, I struggled with feeling valued, and recognized that there wasn’t enough recognition of employees’ good work. It was important to me to have that voice, to help make sure that the employees, including me, felt valued at MPRB,” says Melissa Fly, a founding member of the Employee Recognition Committee.

The team quickly identified two distinct work areas. The first was policy development, which became an opportunity to build accountability through a variety of methods. The second was creation of a recognition program to provide structure for supervisors and employees to show appreciation to each other. The Recognition Team was divided into two committees to research and develop an Employee Recognition Policy and an Employee Recognition Program.

The former was created by combining existing practices, applying examples found in policies from external companies, and using best practices in employee engagement. Using the Recognition Team as a policy development committee, the Employee Recognition Policy moved through policy development and ultimately was approved in 2017.

The latter was developed in tandem with policy development. To create an awareness of expectations, policy and program training were identified as a high priority. The training included an engaging, hands-on approach, creatively articulating expectations of the newly approved policy, while providing guidance on use of tools developed for the program. Supervisor Toolkits, containing the policy, thank-you notes, certificates of appreciation, and tips for showing gratitude, were compiled and made available to all staff members. Additionally, Appreciation Station kits were installed at work sites across the agency. Lastly, a recognition event and employee awards became a signature part of the program.

Program Components

The formation of an Employee Recognition Committee was the first step in implementing the policy and the program. The team is comprised of six appointed members by the executive team. They represent each division of the agency and are led by an appointed committee chair. Over time, the committee developed a charter that provides further structure and guidance for overall operation and sustainability of the committee. When Fly was asked about continuing to serve for subsequent terms, she noted, “I keep doing this because it is a fun assignment and group of colleagues. It is so great to see the positive impact that we’re making.”

Some components of the program have evolved because some efforts were more successful than others. For example, although Appreciation Station supplies were distributed to over 70 work sites, very few still have the supplies. These were specific boards in staff-facing areas that included colorful sticky notes and markers, allowing staff members to post notes of appreciation to their co-workers. However, Supervisor Toolkits are still being distributed with the intention of making employee recognition easy and attainable. The most successful item in the toolkits has been the High Five, which is available for any employee to use. High Fives are in-house designed and printed postcards in four colors over the image of a hand. This graphic is also available electronically. High Fives are often used as a method for recognizing a co-worker for a job well done, and are displayed proudly in workspaces. Similarly, the “Kudos” area of the employee newsletter is an additional method of sharing thanks for an employee’s contributions in a more public format. These two successful components continue to provide meaningful results.

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Employee-Recognition Event

Understanding that each person is motivated differently, in accordance with the policy, the Employee Recognition Committee holds a reception annually to celebrate the previous year. A $6,000 allocation covers all event and award expenses. This event kicked off in 2019, with a look back to achievements in 2018. That first year, about 85 employees attended the event; however, very few who were being recognized attended. In 2020, the event was cancelled and then ultimately revived as a virtual event until March 2023, when an in-person reception was held, hosting nearly 150 employees.

“Sitting at the welcome table and watching the people arrive to the reception was so satisfying, especially in 2023. Having been here since the beginning, it has been amazing to watch it grow and change,” says Cindy Anderson, another founding member of the Employee Recognition Committee. “There were so many people! Seeing their faces, how happy they were to be there with colleagues they don’t typically see, gave me so much joy. Then, when the Superintendent shook the hands of the employees, there was so much pride on the faces of not only the recipients but their closest colleagues. The applause was so loud and sincere. It was so heartwarming to see the joy that we brought to the MPRB.”

All employees are invited to support the achievements of their colleagues, which features highlights of the previous year, professional achievements of employees, interagency honors, years-of-service awards, formal awards, and wonderful opportunities to build community among staff members.

Years-of-service awards are given in five-year intervals. Implementing these awards is a challenge in a large agency with many longtime staff members. The committee determined a methodology and began distribution of these awards in 2019, for years of service through December of the previous year. Any staff member who worked continuously for more than five years was given an award for the closest five-year interval. This meant that 420 employees received an award that year. Subsequently, there are around 100 staff members annually who qualify for a years-of-service award.

Formal awards are given to employees who have been nominated by their peers in particular categories. This part of the program continues to grow each year. What began with only one or two nominations has now grown into so many that the committee has decided to expand the categories to accommodate the positive energy and emerging themes. At the 2023 event four formal award categories honored deserving employees.

Employees Take Notice

Although more work is to be done, employees have begun to take notice. Since implementing the policy and program, requests by staff members for the creation of numerous interagency honor categories has emerged. The popularity of peer-to-peer nominations has increased significantly. In fact, one employee was nominated by colleagues 16 times for service in 2022, resulting in development of a new award category. The cross-departmental colleague support shown both on the job and at the reception is apparent. The Employee Recognition Program’s impact continues to emerge. “Peer-to-peer recognition is great. Sometimes, though, getting that recognition from someone higher in the organization is needed. The fact that leadership knows your name and what you’ve done to make the MPRB a better place means something. That has started to happen now through this program,” Fly says.

With an intentional effort, the board continues to use an Employee Recognition Program to make a positive impact on the employee experience. Dedicated and passionate staff keep the program relevant. Shifting the culture does not happen quickly or without effort. The Employee Recognition Committee, with much help from colleagues, continues to create a culture of appreciation at work, one High Five at a time.

Annie Olson has over 23 years of experience at the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, serving in different roles. She is currently the Director of Visitor Services. Although she holds many positions at the agency, the one that brings her the most joy and satisfaction is that of Employee Recognition Committee Chair. She is widely known in the field for her professional-development trainings and speaking engagements on customer-service topics. She has trained thousands of public-sector employees since 2013. Reach her at aolson@minneapolisparks.org.