A pass-along award is a tangible symbol of on-the-job success and appreciation and a simple way to facilitate more peer recognition in the workplace. Here’s how to introduce a pass-along award:

Select your award: Find something that will stand out on the recipient’s desk. It could be a stuffed animal, a cartoon figure or a trophy (environmentally friendly hint: this is an opportunity to repurpose an old sports trophy, which was destined for the landfill). Consider selecting a pass-along award which will reflect what your organization does: an apple for teachers, a small globe for a travel agency, or plaque-mounted eye glasses for an optometrist’s office.

Introduce the award to staff: This could occur at a staff meeting or via email. “Next week, we’ll be introducing a pass-along award. This is another way for you to recognize someone you work with for doing their job well or helping you do your job, or for a co-worker to recognize your contributions. It’s not an award to keep forever. In fact, once you receive the pass-along award you will have 48 hours (or whatever time limit you set) to find another team member who deserves to be recognized. Deliver the award to your co-worker, along with an explanation of what he/she did that you appreciate. You could do this in person, or you could leave the award with a note on his/her desk.” [Suggestion: name your pass-along award—the “green apple,” or “grateful giraffe” or “travelling trophy”]

Suggest reasons to recognize colleagues: It could be for calming an upset customer, providing information and resources you needed to complete a task, lending a helping hand, or cleaning out the staff-room fridge (Ugh!) Better yet, brainstorm with the team to identify reasons to recognize co-workers. Post the resulting list, with a reminder that it contains only a few suggestions. “When you look for them, you will discover many other reasons to recognize the people with whom you work.”

Prime the Pump: Approach a staff member to be the first to present the pass-along award. You may need to discuss who could be recognized and why. [Suggestion: Follow up with a brief note thanking this person for “getting the ball rolling.”]

Beware of recognition gone stale: No staff recognition techniques have an indefinite shelf life. Over time, every one will lose its effectiveness. Anticipate this by predetermining when the pass-along award will disappear, or plan to monitor how well it’s working.