Many times it’s the small things that people notice and remember.  A gesture like a pat on the back after a particularly long workday, or a small note of thanks that’s actually mailed – with a stamp! – to the person that made your day a little better.

Small things that get noticed also applies to branded merchandise.  The logo ribbon used to wrap the holiday gifts; a luggage tag shaped like a lion instead of a circle for the zoo trip; and stickers, decals and labels designed to grab attention and, in some instances, motivate behavior.

The use of stickers for recognition of personal accomplishments originally stemmed  from fighter pilots marking their planes with stickers after kills and/or successful missions.  Over the years the practice of giving helmet stickers for achievement on the football field was adopted by college coaches at schools like The Ohio State University, Clemson and Arkansas.  The more stickers, the more respect.  So why not adopt something similar in the corporate world?

For the companies that have employees using hard hats, the concept is easy.  But what about all the folks that don’t need protection from falling construction tools?  Stickers for the coffee cup, water bottle or clip board would work.  Blank picture frames could be given to each employee for the specific purpose of collecting, and displaying, stickers.

The idea is that something as simple as a sticker can be used to recognize the people in your organization for the smallest success or desired behavior.  It’s only one tool that should part of a much larger motivation program toolbox, but in the right setting with the right employee base, it just may be the simplest way to show appreciation for a job well done.