Building Blocks of Recognition

I was at an HR Conference this week in St. Louis and heard a neat recognition idea from the University of Texas at Austin. A creative manager there came up with the idea to recognize positive contributions from employees on the spot by presenting a Lego. The Legos represent a dollar value which can be accumulated and redeemed for special awards. As employees receive recognition over time, they build little Recognition towers made of Legos which occupy a spot on their desks. For this university, it's a fun way for employees to keep a visible reminder of management's appreciation for their extra effort.