Incentive - June 2008 - (Page 37)

people. In addition, plans are in the works for SITE to partner with an educational institution to “give it a little more academic rigor and validity, rather than keeping it internal to SITE,” according to Anderson. The SITE Academy for Young Leaders is another initiative building great momentum with membership. Held for four days annually and targeting the potential performance-improvement leaders of tomorrow, the Academy offers exclusive education and networking opportunities relevant to SITE members ages 35 and under. This year, the event will take place in New York City in early August. “The Young Leaders Academy is really exciting stuff in terms of the mentorship it brings in 24- to 35-year-olds. Many attendees are new to the industry and new to incentives,” Anderson says. “They want to learn, so we set up programming specifically geared to this group, who [as a generation] are known for being positively inclined toward business, for constantly reviewing the scene and for demanding immediacy. They are an influential generation.” SITE offers other comprehensive programs, including e-learning, custom workshops for the organization’s 35 chapters, scholarships through the International SITE Foundation, and educational sessions during the SITE International Conference. intensive courses. If you don’t have a background in recognition or business, it makes it very difficult to pass the test,” says Christi Gibson, executive director for RPI. “Our goal is to be at the forefront of employee recognition, innovation and education as systematic methods of improvement in the workplace. This program helps to build enthusiasm, and gives recognition professionals the actual tools, knowledge and methods that are so important.” Currently, RPI members can take the Certified Recognition Professional courses and test during the organization’s annual workplace. This information helps structure internal programs as well as the measurement of return-on-investment.” Product Knowledge E ducation at PPAI is an ever-changing process, says Rick Merrill, director of professional development for the industry organization headquartered in Irving, Texas. “Every year, our programs evolve. We try different things depending on the needs and hot topics expressed by our “If you don’t have a background in recognition or business, it makes it very difficult to pass the test.” –Christi Gibson, Recognition Professionals International conference or the fall summit held in tandem with The Motivation Show in Chicago. Successful candidates receive public recognition in front of their peers during a special ceremony at the annual conference. RPI is also looking into offering the program in different regions and locations, as well as striving for greater acceptance from the academic community. “These courses have now gone through the International Association for Continuing Education and Training to determine whether they can be used toward college credit. We haven’t gotten final word yet, but we were told they were putting us in for approval,” Gibson says. Ryan Maddux, a systems consultant for Wells Fargo, graduated from the Certified Recognition Professional program and now teaches certification classes for RPI. According to Maddux, the experience has helped him enhance his leadership skills and build stronger relationships with his colleagues. He is a staunch supporter of the program. “If you are a product manager or are in charge of the formal recognition strategies for your company, you have access to the best of the best and the latest incentive ideas and tools,” he says. “You definitely take what you learn back to the members,” he says. Suppliers’ Forum and Presidents’ Forum are just two of the recent programs that have been well received. The former is held prior to Promotions East, and offers a power-packed agenda complete with timely themes such as product safety and social responsibility. The latter, a four-day event geared to larger product company owners or higher-level executives, promotes discussion by providing a platform to discuss issues and concerns. Other successful PPAI initiatives include the Women’s Leadership Forum; the Promotional Consultant Academy, where participants take part in role-play sessions and develop integrated programs that are judged by actual end-buyers; the Promotional Products Education Fund; frequent webinars and the Master Advertising Specialist (MAS) and Certified Advertising Specialist (CAS) certification programs. “In any profession, there are very few people who can step into it without any help or development,” says Merrill. “Highly successful professionals recognize the need for ongoing opportunities to learn new information, approaches and tools that they can apply on the job.” Building Recognition s a way to help achieve the mission of enhancing organizational performance through workforce recognition by providing access to best practice standards, education, research and the exchange of ideas, RPI launched its Certified Recognition Professional program and curriculum in 2006. Candidates must complete four facilitator-led courses: “Structuring Recognition Programs for Success,” “Strategic Planning and Measurement,” “Recognition Management and Maintenance” and “Applying Recognition Systems.” Additionally, they must prove mastery of these topics by earning an 80 percent or higher on a corresponding test. “Certification sets the standard for recognition professionals. There are very A incentivemag.com | June 2008 | Incentive | 37 http://incentivemag.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Incentive - June 2008

Incentive - June 2008 Contents Editor’s Note In The News Cover Story: Seventh Annual Industry Roundtable Incentive Interview Case Study Soft Incentives Empowerment and Engagement The Incentive Career Incentive Primer Travel News: Where To Go and What To Do The Cook Islands Field Report: Bermuda Potentials: Here and Now 50 Top Motivators: The Best of the Best Electronics: High-end Audio Equipment Gift Cards: Should One Be Enough? Advertiser Index Off The Cuff

Incentive - June 2008

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