| I recently got an e-mail
requesting nominations for our 11th Capital Management
Leadership and Mastery (L&M) Award program. This program
recognizes capital management practitioners in project
management, construction management, capital purchasing,
facilities engineering, design management, capital finance,
and initiative management for their functional leadership
and mastery throughout their career.
This e-mail caused me to reflect on how organizations
recognize peoples' contributions in traditional (pay
and promotion) and non-traditional ways (recognition,
etc.). I was fortunate to be chosen as the project manager
of the first L&M program. As our company's Capital Management
Organization matured, we discovered we had a lot of
experts in various capital management functions whom
we wanted to recognize but were limited as to how to
do that within our traditional pay and progression programs.
Thus, the stage was set to explore new ways to recognize
individuals and their contributions.
A team of project managers, including myself, evaluated
a number of recognition programs and proposed our own
to recognize individuals within the disciplines noted
above. Our objectives were clear:
- Establish a program where there were no winners
and losers, only award recipients.
- Get Capital Management practitioners and their hierarchy
to view the program as a positive development.
- Establish simple nominating criteria. Nominees had
to have demonstrated sustained technical mastery and
leadership in ways that led to significant contributions
to their business areas.
- Limit the number of award recipients so that getting
an award would be regarded as something special.
We proposed an awards luncheon where each award recipient
would receive a plaque commemorating their achievements
in front of their peers and hierarchy. Hierarchy agreed
to this proposal.
Thus, the process began:
- Nominations were requested and received.
- Nomination Committee reviewed nominations and recommended
award recipients.
- Award recipients and their hierarchy were informed
of their selection.
- Invitations to the luncheon and awards presentation
were sent out to all practitioners.
- Luncheon and award presentation were held on schedule
within cost.
| As I talked
to each of them, I learned how much it meant to
be recognized by their peers. |
Everything was going along as planned until the day of
the luncheon when something totally caught me off guard.
I knew each of the award recipients, but on the day of
the luncheon I noticed I had never seen each of them so
happy in all the time I had known them. As I talked to
each of them, I learned how much it meant to be recognized
by their peers.
I've attended each L&M celebration and been involved
in managing other recognition events. The one thing
that continually stands out in my mind in all of these
occasions is the happiness of each individual on being
recognized by his or her peers.
By being a participant in the formation of this recognition
event and watching it flourish over the years, I feel
I have had a rare opportunity to better understand how
important it is to individuals to be recognized for
their accomplishments throughout their careers. It is
easy to become cynical about traditional and nontraditional
rewards and recognition programs. However, as we continue
to raise the bar on what we expect out of our project
managers, we need to look for new and exciting ways
to celebrate not only their team's successes but also
their individual success. |
W.
Scott Cameron is Capital Systems Manager for the Food
& Beverage Global Business Unit of Procter & Gamble. He
has been managing capital projects and mentoring other
capital management practitioners for the past 20 years
at Procter & Gamble within its Beauty Care, Health Care,
Food & Beverage, and Fabric & Home Care Businesses.
