Recognition and Reward
Assiniboine Credit Union employees are recognized and rewarded throughout our Process Excellence (PE) journey. Let me count the ways …
Employees engaged in improving processes:
1. Speak for their results.
Employees present the benefits realized through Process Excellence to our Executive Management Team (EMT). Employees gain the opportunity to be front and centre with the EMT, to answer questions, share their knowledge, and hear the praise for the good work they have done in making things better.
2. Get certified.
Through the use of Lean Six Sigma, as our chosen Process Excellence (PE) methodology, ACU staff is able to receive various levels of certification. This PE certification process is one way we are able to recognize and reward our staff as PE certification is acknowledged in many different industries and is a highly respected transferrable skill.
3. Celebrate their successes.
Project teams and the staff members that assisted with the data gathering, improvement testing and implementation, celebrate their project results. Not all celebrations will be like the Member Communication Centre celebration – in which we sang and danced, but all participants will have the chance to enjoy some time together, usually with good food in hand!
4. Are acknowledged.
At ACU we implemented a continuous improvement performance measure for all ACU staff and several PE goals within our Balanced Scorecard. These provide the opportunity to recognize and reward staff for their contribution towards ACU’s shift to a culture of continuous improvement.
5. Contribute project ideas.
An online process improvement idea tool provides staff with the ability to submit their improvement ideas. In 2009 we ran a campaign/contest encouraging staff to join the Process Improvement Evolution (PIE) and send us their ideas. We received 197 submissions and since January 2010, an additional 108 ideas have been sent in. Each submission is reviewed by the PE department and an email is sent to the contributor and their manager, acknowledging the idea and detailing how we are going to address it. A quarterly report is sent to all managers identifying who and how many ideas have been submitted. This provides ACU the ability to measure staff performance in meeting our goal of continuous improvement.
6. Become Famous.
Whether it’s through the CUES Next Top CU Exec videos or through our employee newsletter, ACUmmunity, stories featuring the people who made positive change are profiled and their efforts acknowledged. We love a good story!
In October 2010, Process Excellence will celebrate its first full year of activity in ACU. I really want to thank all ACU staff for their hard work and dedication to this process. All branches and departments will receive a very special pie (see image below) made out of…. cupcakes (believe it or not) and a Thank You card for all their efforts. I could not be more proud of the work we have all accomplished in one short year!
Jodi
Regional Finalist – Canada
Thanks to Derrick from The Cupcake Corner for his ingenious creation below:
