For recognition to work, it has to be
meaningful.
Congratulating members on joining your
communities isn’t meaningful. Recognition is a complex tool. If it feels
slightly patronizing, it has the opposite affect.
The goal of recognition is three-fold. First, to
showcase contributions you want to encourage. Second, to reinforce existing
behaviour. Third, highlight the influence members have had upon your community.
Gamification is a terrible way of recognizing
members. Most automated methods of recognition are meaningless. Recognition has
to be given for meaningful acts in meaningful ways.
Don’t recognise simple or basic acts of little significant. If a member hasn’t done much to deserve recognition, don’t give any. You undermine yourself if you give recognition for meaningless acts.
If a member has made several excellent
contributions in the community, then profile or interview the member, highlight
those contributions, but don’t give them a gold star.
