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THE FACILITY DOCTORS


Topic:  Source: Victor Cohen, Manager - Mitchell Center Arena Response By: Kimberly Mahoney, Ph.D.


In a recent Venue Managers Open Forum, a question was posed about employee reward and recognition programs. This is an important is-  are often the face of the organization, and both FOH and BOH per- sonnel play a critical role in the delivery of the event experience to guests. They want to be acknowledged as part of the team, and their   the quality of their uniforms, accurate and timely paychecks, available opportunities for feedback, or even something as simple as a quick conversation with the GM during an event. More overt acknowledg- ment comes in the form of a well-designed reward and recognition program. According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, two of the most valuable psychological needs we have as human beings are the need  represent a fundamental need, while recognition and career advance- ment support higher-level psychological needs. Unfortunately, there is no simple solution that works across the


board. Venue managers must consider a number of issues when de-  -  personnel or part-time vs. full-time personnel? Should contractors be   groups, such as students vs. retirees? Second, one must consider the logistics of implementation. For ex-


       individuals in certain positions will have more opportunities to be rec- ognized, thereby potentially creating an unfair situation. For exam- ple, guest services representatives have more chances for meaningful guest interaction than a security guard working the freight elevator or a member of the changeover crew working overnight. You may   are recognized by management, there may be concerns regarding per- ceptions of fairness or favoritism. When considering logistics, venue -   fewer events than an arena. Convention centers host a high percentage of private events. Such considerations impact opportunities for recog- nition and implementation of the program. Lastly, one must consider the resources available for such a pro-


 - pensive, such as a handwritten note from the team owner, event tickets,  greater investment may be appreciation events for all personnel and their families, which may include a holiday party or a cookout at a


Co-Editors: Dr. Kimberly Mahoney & Prof. Gil Fried


minor league baseball game. An article in Forbes a few years ago addressed research on the secret to employee recognition. Not surprisingly, they found that those orga- nizations that give regular thanks to their employees far outperform those that don’t. While we often recognize individuals for length of employment, their research found that tenure-based reward systems have virtually no impact on organizational performance. Not to say there is no value in recognizing an usher who has been at a venue since it opened or a ticket taker who hasn’t missed a home game in 10 seasons, but that should not be the core of your program. The author  #1


create a culture of doing the right thing, award someone for handling    an employee of the month (or game). #2 – Implement peer-to-peer recognition (not top down). One’s


peers have a true understanding of what the job really entails, so when  more meaningful. To ensure fairness, each employee may be permit-  line, top-down recognition is often viewed as political. #3 – Share recognition stories. One of the most powerful practices


- thing great, tell people about it. These stories create employee engage- ment and learning. Speaking from personal experience, we shared  my academic classes to emphasize the power and importance of the  #4 – Make recognition easy and frequent. Make it simple for em-


ployees to recognize each other. Many of the modern programs they   can give them to others. Then those points can be used for an extra  #5 – Tie recognition to your organizational values and goals. When designing your program, connect it to the organization’s mission, pur- pose statement, or strategy (guest service, innovation, teamwork, etc.). - sion.


When your facility embraces a modern reward and recognition pro-


gram, and people start thanking each other, trust and engagement go up, which improves employee morale and service levels. The design and implementation of a comprehensive program is a worthwhile in- vestment in your employees and overall organizational performance. The full article can be found online at Forbes.com (Bersin, 2012). For those attending VC17, the conference program includes a ses- - tion Combined with Creative Employee Incentives” (currently sched- uled for Wednesday 8/9 at 3:00 pm). See you in Nashville! FM


Kim Mahoney, Ph.D., is assistant professor in the college of business sports man- agement department, and Gil Fried., J.D., is professor – chair in the college of business sport management department both at the University of New Haven.


IAVM 45


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