The Next Next Common Sense
includes peer feedback mechanisms that capture collaborative contri- butions that might otherwise remain invisible in activity metrics alone.
Immediate vs. Long-term Impact
Digital recognition systems often emphasize immediate, measurable outcomes over longer-term impacts that take time to manifest. A customer support representative's efficiency metrics might look excellent while their approach gradually damages customer relationships. A product manager might receive recognition for rapid feature delivery while creating tech- nical debt that undermines future development. Addressing this tension requires recognition systems that incor- porate different time horizons and leading indicators of future impact. Patagonia's employee recognition explicitly rewards sustainable product design decisions even when they increase short-term costs or development time. This approach acknowledges that meaningful contribution often can't be fully evaluated on immediate metrics alone.
Fixed vs. Evolving Criteria
Recognition systems with fixed criteria provide clarity about what's valued but risk becoming outdated as organizational priorities evolve. Systems that change too frequently, however, create confusion about what really matters and can undermine trust in the recognition pro- cess itself. The most effective approaches maintain core recognition principles while allowing specific metrics to evolve as needed. Salesforce maintains consistent recognition of customer success outcomes while regularly updating how those outcomes are measured based on changing market conditions and product capabilities. This approach provides essential sta- bility while ensuring recognition systems remain aligned with evolving organizational priorities.
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