I spent the day Thursday enjoying a professional development conference and hearing from experienced professionals from the worlds of social media, crisis communications, event planning, public relations, media relations, and business etiquette.
One speaker, an expert on business etiquette, talked about the need for public acknowledgement. She talked about a “traveling trophy” in the office — something that could be placed on someone’s desk following a job well done. Later, that person takes the trophy and places it on another deserving coworker’s desk, and so on.
When I was working as a newspaper reporter in Springfield, Missouri, we did this. The trophy was a Teddy bear with a crown. And, I kid you not, when it landed on my desk, I was ecstatic! A kids toy with no real value sitting atop my computer for the newsroom to see made my day. It was a form of public acknowledgement from my peers.
And it was fun to then pass it along to my coworkers.
Our churches are full of ministers, volunteers, Sunday School leaders, greeters, etc.
They do a lot of work for a simple reason:
They’re called to do it.
When these people do a good job, acknowledge them in some way. If you can do it publicly, take a moment from the pulpit to do it. Tell people in your congregation how that lady in the fourth row is making a difference for God’s Kingdom. Tell people that the guy at the front door is Carl and his smiling face might be one reason they keep coming back.
A simple pat on the back or a public thank you can go a long way in building morale and encouraging others to serve.
How does your church acknowledge good works publicly?
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