The Fundamentals of an Effective Presentation
Why is a presentation necessary? By establishing an employee recognition program within your company, you demonstrate that you know recognition is a powerful leadership tool. It makes a statement to your employees about what is important to the business and what is valued by the leaders within the company. It is also one of the most effective ways to reinforce an organization’s culture, support its objectives and retain top performers.
An effective recognition program achieves the following:
- Builds self-esteem
- Reinforces desired behaviors
- Helps create an atmosphere of appreciation and trust
- Promotes empowerment and involvement
- Creates loyalty to the company
Who should be present? Imagine training long hours for a big race and then winning first place, only you aren’t allowed to tell anyone about your victory. Our achievements in life, no matter how small, are more meaningful to us when we share them with others. Keep this in mind when deciding who will be at the recognition event. The presentation will have much more impact if the associate is recognized in front of his/her peers (and senior management and additional guests if a more formal presentation is planned). The appropriate peer recognition will generate excitement for others to also strive for the high goals of achievement and recognition.
Remember to make the presentation upbeat, fun and to the point. Your preparation will make the event a memorable Magic Moment for all.
What will the presenter say? The most important thing to remember is that the presentation should be personal. Consider the flowing when preparing what you will say:
- Address the associate by name.
- Research the important information including years of service, accomplishments and contributions prior to the presentation.
- Share a work-related short story or anecdote if appropriate, but always avoid embarrassing jokes or other comments that may make the associate uncomfortable.
- Communicate how honored you are to have the opportunity to recognize him or her.
- Congratulate the associate, say “thank you” and shake his or her hand.
Where will the presentation take place? Whether you are planning a casual or more formal presentation, the event is important and can be a powerful management tool towards developing increased commitment to the company’s vision and core values. You can recognize an associate at his or her work place, or, if desired, in a more formal setting like a banquet hall. Keep in mind the number of people who will be attending the event and plan the location accordingly. Whatever the setting, however, remember that this should be a special occasion for the associate and his/her peer group.
When should the presentation occur? There is no specific time of year to hold a recognition event because it should take place at a “special time” for your company. Most companies, however, hold an annual event to recognize their associates. Once a year is an optimal time to guarantee that milestones don’t go unnoticed while still ensuring the event remains “special” instead of an everyday occurrence. Whenever you plan to hold your event(s), remember to recognize important milestones like the following:
- Years of Service (usually 1 year, 5 year, 10 year, etc)
- Significant performance accomplishments
- Goal Achievements
- Going Above and Beyond
