Drawing attention to the fact that a goal has been achieved is the perfect excuse for presenting engraved awards. It’s not only a way of letting a community know that an organisation or initiative has been effective and has reached its goals, but also a way to recognise and celebrate the accomplishment, paving way for successful future endeavours.
Some of the basic purposes for marking goal attainment and a job well done are to give credit where it’s due, increase motivation and commitment, and help boost knowledge and support for an organisation.
Reaching an organisational time milestone
Statistically, only around 15% of community-based initiatives and grass-roots organisations are still active after five years, and only about 2% make it to ten years. Many fail within or shortly after the first year, so achieving a time milestone of significant value is a big deal and deserves to be celebrated.
Staging a public celebration in recognition of a special anniversary can have a positive effect in several ways – it can be great publicity, show the respect an initiative has in surviving for a significant number of years, recognised those responsible, make new and existing participants feel part of something special, and help those who have had a long-term connection feel that all their efforts were worthwhile and appreciated. Celebrations can also include presentations of specially engraved plaques or awards, prominently placed these can be a positive incentive and a reminder of the goal achieved.
Public and private goal achievements
Rewarding an individual, either for a public or private achievement, can be a great morale booster and provide motivation for others on the team. Recipients will feel proud of what they have done, while other team members are reminded that success is possible and they will feel energised for future endeavours. Seizing a chance to praise and reward someone for work well done, especially if that work is sometimes hard and frustrating, provides not only a welcome break from routine but a simple reminder of why it’s important to continue.
Marking the occasion with an award ceremony or presentation helps people to remember what has been achieved, and will also leave a lasting impression. Inclusion of new team members and participants will help to cement relationships and incorporate them into the history of an organisation, helping them feel that they belong.
Timing is everything
Presenting awards as close to when the goal was reached as possible is always considered the best option. If too much time is allowed to pass from when the goal is reached to recognition, this may weaken the significance of the award and could dilute the value of the organisation. Media interest may decrease, the community may not find the goal so compelling and, most importantly, the recipient(s) might no longer have the strong connection to the work they initially felt.
Commemorating a specific goal achievement as soon after it is reached as possible will ensure that the positive effects are not dulled by the passage of time, and the recipients will be able to appreciate the full value of the engraved awards.