Recognise This! – Lessons for the power of recognition and appreciation can come from nearly any avenue, if we pay attention.

What Globoforce Learned When We Met the President (Globoforce Blog)

True story. Many members of our team were in Denver, Colorado, for a summer sales meeting. The dinner event Tuesday night for the team was at Wynkoop Brewing Company, where President Obama himself would make an appearance. And yes, I’m envious of my colleagues who got to shake the President’s hand.

For more on that experience from a colleague who was there, read this post from Darcy Jacobsen. I was particularly touched by her description of how the President interacted with peopleafter the cameras left. Authenticity, respect, and appreciation for those who assist us is always an important reminder.

Stack Ranking Gone Wrong – Government Edition (Compensation Cafe)

Yesterday on Compensation Cafe I shared a further refinement of the stack ranking (or forced ranking) model that actually makes it worse. I’m hopeful a vision of Cafe Editor Ann Bares will become reality. She posits in a world where pay transparency and the end of the traditional performance review are possible, merit pay as traditionally implemented can’t last much longer, either.

Check out this post for a new, egregious example of stack ranking at a government contractor, plus research on the primary underlying flaw that pressure will boost productivity. (Indeed, pressure only boosts fear, which negatively impacts productivity, performance and results.)

How to Keep Your Employees Motivated This Summer (Boston.com)

Our CEO, Eric Mosley, provided 7 tips for employee motivation during the summer months. Read this photo series for cost-effective, but highly impactful ways to convey your appreciation for employee efforts in the months when it’s easy to be distracted. Tips include encouraging time off, fresh air meetings, and – critically – leading by example in all cases.

What most motivates you?