It’s awards season! In a few days, we’ll be tuning in to watch the Oscars – The Academy Awards – which is a special occasion that acknowledges the finest achievements in the film industry from the past year. Here at SBA, we believe that small businesses should also set aside some time annually to honor their “shining stars”.
Just like the Oscars, you can create categories that will award the various aspects that exist within your small business. From the “behind the scenes” nominees in Human Resources to the “frontline” nominees in Sales, the opportunities to celebrate your team are endless.
Below are a few categories to help you get started:
Best Picture – Think over the last year and ask yourself the following: What was your company’s biggest accomplishment and who was responsible for it? Was it an internal or external initiative? Did you connect with your target audience as you hoped? Once you decide what it is, be sure to award this individual or team with the “big picture” award for a job well done!
Best Director – When it comes to gaining sound advice or feedback, whom do your employees typically go to? This person may or may not be you as the CEO. Award this individual with the “Best Director” award for being committed to leading his or her team toward success!
Best Film Editing – As a small business, it can be quite overwhelming to be on call for every single thing that happens within your company. That’s why you should award that employee that came in with a desire to revamp and organize your business processes. This can be from a customer, client or general corporate perspective - so think big and offer a huge thank you!
Best Short Film – When it comes to planning, it’s always great to think ahead and document everything. But what do you do when something occurs that wasn’t planned? You think quickly! The “Best Short Film” award should be given to the individual or team that jumped in to help reach a deadline or deliver excellent customer/client service. Think about your design team or your business development team but really, it could be anyone! Choose wisely.
Best Writing (Original Screenplay) – Being innovative within your business is one of the sure ways to make sure your company continues to grow. Do you have an employee that recently went out of his way to add a new skill to her or his team’s toolkit? Did your Human Resources team find a way to automate a few processes? The “Best Writing” award would be a great honor for the visionary (or visionaries) within your company!
And the award goes to….
Your talented employees! As you know, the Oscars are a great time for nominees to dress up and show off. So be sure go the extra mile with the décor and ambiance. Perhaps you can schedule a fun evening out at a new event space or you order catered lunch from a local restaurant. Either way, the goal is to make sure that your employees feel appreciated for their efforts from the past year – so make it great!