Award for Excellent Service

I was happy to receive the MBPJ 2008 Award for Excellent Service last Friday. While the Award is a form of recognition given to the staffs who have performed extra ordinary for the whole year of 2008, it is also a wake up call to others for doing better in years to come. Indeed it is a gesture of killing two birds with one stone.

Recognition and acknowledgement by far the best form of motivating people for carrying out their outstanding tasks continually. Undoubtedly people need motivation and incentives apart from joining a healthy environment for competition. By competing each others with the understanding that reward is based on merit will create an energetic organisation and satisfied staff force with pride. This is an important elements in the human capital master plan as staff force is the back bone for an organisation. Re-branding of an organisation has to start from within, the inner self or else whatever slogans and statement that have been put forth will remain achievable. Without having a clear understanding, the work force might not be able to visualise and appreciate what was aspired, let alone to do it.

Recognition does not necessary associate to huge cash reward or come in expensively. It can be in various forms to suit to circumstances. For a project well done, sending a thank you note is considered good. Inviting people to a special function or providing preferential treatment to them is another way of saying thank you. Even the mentioning of job well done and the people who have done it in a speech or remarks can be of help. Sending a press release attached with a photos showing the particular staff in working itself indirectly is a small but good gesture. The types of recognition can go on with little bit of innovation and creativity, but more importantly passion of wanting to do it.

Recognition alone is not enough without continue capacity development program to improve the staff's knowledge and skill. While a person can be motivated by getting the incentives, it is very rare a person can perform better and better by doing the same routine job without innovating it according to the changes. For example, a clerk used to issue a hand written receipt would have to key in the particulars for computer print out in which acquiring good typing skill is definitely of help. Hence, perhaps Award for Excellent Service should consider the adaptation and adoption ability towards changes as well.

I am happy with the recognition provided by the employer. I think I deserve it and I believe I have a bigger responsibilities now to work smarter and harder.