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Trainer Action Pack

A Guide to the Session

Presented by

About this Action Pack

This session takes 60 minutes. The session includes information for you the presenter, activities for participants, and a debrief for each activity.

Notes Section

In the notes section, you will find a complete guide to each slide including timing, what to say, related activities and debriefs. You can read from the notes like a script or feel free to adapt and add to the content to make it relevant for your program. One thing to note is that instructions in italics are instructions to you, the presenter.

Activities

There are instructions throughout the session for both in-person and virtual versions of the activities. Use whichever format best suits your implementation of the session.

Debrief

Debriefs follow each activity and are comprised of two parts: Observe & Identify Concepts and Apply Concepts.

Observe & Identify: As the facilitator of the session, observe participants during the activity and be prepared to comment on your observations. Participants should identify concepts from the activity and discuss.
Apply Concepts: The last part of the debrief is taking the identified concepts and having participants discuss applying those concepts to the context of your program.

How to Adapt this Session

You can expand this session by:

Spending more time on the activities as needed or desired.
Adapting the examples and scenarios to align with your program.

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The Appreciation Effect

How Recognition Strengthens Staff and Culture

Presented by

5 min

0:00-0:05

Say

Welcome to The Appreciation Effect: How Recognition Strengthens Staff and Culture.�Today we will explore how consistent recognition builds confidence, trust, and performance—and learn practical ways to integrate positive reinforcement into team meetings, one-on-one check-ins, and everyday interactions.�You will leave with strategies to celebrate progress in ways that are authentic, meaningful, and sustainable, helping you create a culture where recognition is part of everyday practice.

Description: Consistent recognition builds confidence, trust, and performance. This session shows you how to integrate positive reinforcement into team meetings, one-on-one check-ins, and everyday interactions. Celebrate progress in ways that are authentic, meaningful, and sustainable.

LinkedIn Post: When staff feel valued, they bring their best to the program—and youth benefit most. In this session, site leaders will learn to integrate meaningful recognition and positive reinforcement into daily operations. Discover how celebrating achievements, big and small, can boost morale, strengthen cohesion, and build a culture that keeps great staff engaged. Let’s create a culture where appreciation fuels success.

#StaffRecognition #TeamMotivation #OSTLeadership #AfterSchoolPrograms #YouthDevelopment #ProfessionalDevelopment

Materials Needed

If you are facilitating this training in-person:

Access to internet
Access to projector/screen
Pens/pencils and colored pencils or markers for participants
Scrap paper
Large post-it note board paper
Post it notes

If you are facilitating this training virtually:

Access to internet

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Why Recognition Matters

Presented by

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Positive Reinforcement Theory

Comes from behavior theory
Behavior is strengthened when it’s followed by a positive consequence

Presented by

2 min

0:06-0:08

Say

Positive Reinforcement Theory comes from the overarching Behavioral Theory which is is the theory that behaviors are learned through environmental interactions and conditions. Positive Reinforcement Theory specifically states that behavior is strengthened and more likely to occur again when it is followed up with positive reinforcement or a reward.

Research from Green et al. found that integrating positive reinforcement and recognition amongst co-workers improved team climate and resiliency. Further research also indicates that giving recognition increases effort and overall performance (Bradler). When we highlight our staff and focus on recognition, the research shows that it will boost overall productivity and create a better and more welcoming workplace environment.

Green, Jack, et al. “The Impact of Positive Reinforcement on Teamwork Climate, Resiliency, and Burnout during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The TEAM-ICU (Transforming Employee Attitudes via Messaging Strengthens Interconnection, Communication, and Unity) Pilot Study.” Journal of Health Psychology, vol. 28, no. 3, 20 June 2022, pp. 267–278, pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9982400/, https://doi.org/10.1177/13591053221103640. ��Bradler, Christiane, et al. “Employee Recognition and Performance: A Field Experiment.” SSRN Electronic Journal, 2014, https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2468487.

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Building Confidence and Trust

Recognition

Signals value & support

Builds safety/trust

Recognition

Highlights progress/�behavior

Builds confidence

Recognition

Reinforces desired behaviors

Improves performance

Presented by

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Less than 10 minutes & $10

What are some ways you can recognize staff or other team members?

In less than 10 minutes

For less than $10

Presented by

5 min

0:10-0:15

Virtual Activity – (Chat and Discussion) Participants are going to take a moment to reflect on and think about what forms of recognition they could do in less than 10 minutes and for less than $10. Then they will share and discuss in chat.

In-Person Activity – (Chat and Discussion) Participants in small groups are going to take a moment to reflect on and think about what forms of recognition they could do in less than 10 minutes and for less than $10. They will then discuss as a group, and each group will decide on one to highlight to the rest of the larger group. Groups will share out and discuss what and why they chose what they did.

Say

Now let’s do a little activity to get some ideas about what are some ways you can recognize staff or other team members? In the chat, share something you can do to recognize a staff member in your program click in less than 10 minutes click and for less than $10.

Debrief

Observe & Identify Concepts

What barriers do you see to appreciating your staff?

What ideas shared in the chat stood out to you the most, and why?

How do you think these quick, low-cost recognition strategies could impact staff morale in your program?

Apply

Take at least 2-3 ideas you see here and try to implement them into your program next week. Which idea do you feel most excited to try in your own setting, and what might make it successful?

How do you think your staff will react?

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Keys to Authentic, Meaningful, and Sustainable Recognition

Presented by

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Authenticity and Meaningfulness

Recognition must be specific
Timing matters
Align with goals and values

Presented by

3 min

0:16-0:19

Say

Recognition needs to be specific, think of behavior+impact. Avoid being vague with your recognition. For example, you could say something like “Thanks for staying late to finish cleaning up, that really helped us with having to avoid coming in earlier and leaving a mess for tomorrow.

Next is timing. Your timing and when you choose to give recognition matters. You want to make sure you are giving recognition close to when that positive behavior happens and not weeks after the fact. As an article from PMI indicates, “instant positive feedback” increases performance.

Lastly, you want to ensure that recognition aligns with the goals and values of your program. Link your recognition to what the team and organization cares about.

Source: “Positive Reinforcement | PMI.” Pmi.org, 2025, www.pmi.org/learning/library/rewarding-team-members-11601?utm_source=chatgpt.com. Accessed 24 Nov. 2025.

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Maintenance

Consistency is crucial
Scalability
Avoid over-reliance on extrinsic rewards
Monitor and adapt

Presented by

3 min

0:19-0:22

Say

Next let’s take a look at maintenance, how do we maintain giving recognition? Consistency over time makes a lot of difference. Recognition should become regular, not only when something big happens. Make sure we are recognizing those small wins and not just the big milestones.

Then there is Scalability. Having different levels of recognition based on the size of your staff as well as the ability levels. You want to make sure you can scale how you plan to implement this recognition.

Try to avoid an over-reliance on extrinsic rewards only. Other rewards such as verbal praise, staff empowerment, and acknowledgement all matter more and cost less.

Lastly, you want to monitor and adapt. Ask for feedback from staff through a team engagement survey and utilize data to measure how recognition practices are working.

Source: Wei, Leong Teen, and Rashad Yazdanifard. “The Impact of Positive Reinforcement on Employees’ Performance in Organizations.” American Journal of Industrial and Business Management, vol. 04, no. 01, 2014, pp. 9–12, www.scirp.org/html/2-2120298_41885.htm.

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Avoiding Pitfalls

Recognition that feels forced or generic
Only the best performers get recognized
Recognition becomes a “participation trophy”

Presented by

3 min

0:22-0:25

Say

Now there can be obstacles along the way, but by remembering these pitfalls we can navigate to avoid them.

Recognition that feels too forced or generic can eventually lose its meaning. Be sure to be authentic with your recognition, your staff and peers will notice when you are forcing it and when you are being genuine.
Only the best performers get recognized. When we don’t spread the recognition around, others may begin to feel ignored or as if they do not matter.
The last pitfall to avoid is that recognition becomes a “participation trophy”, simply giving recognition for completing an assigned task or participating. You want to be sure the recognition is backed by something tangible and impactful that the staff has done; otherwise, it can lose its value overtime.

Source: Bradler, Christiane, et al. “Employee Recognition and Performance: A Field Experiment.” SSRN Electronic Journal, 2014, https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2468487.

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Measuring the Impact

Metrics
Qualitative feedback
Long-term implementation

Presented by

3 min

0:25-0:28

Say

So with all of this in mind, how do we know that the recognition is working? How do we measure the impact? Start by utilizing metrics like engagement or trust survey scores, self-reported confidence levels number of recognitions given, performance metrics tied to the desired behaviors.

Qualitative feedback is another great way to measure the impact. Ask team members how they feel valued, ask them to provide examples of recognitions that they remember and made an impact on them as an individual. Use this feedback to reflect and improve.

It’s also important to note that in order to measure the impact, it takes time and there needs to be long-term implementation. Embed recognition into how you work; into meeting agendas, check-in templates, peer recognition platforms. Overtime it will become second nature in you practices and will contribute towards long-term measurement.

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Sustaining the Impact

Model recognition
Create rituals & structures
Encourage peer recognition
Review & refresh

Presented by

3 min

0:28-0:31

Say

Now how do we sustain the impact of recognition? It starts with leadership. The leaders need to model the behaviors and recognition first; this shows that it is coming from the top down.

Create rituals and structures that implement the recognition. For example, dedicate 2 minutes in each team meeting for progress and recognition od staff.

Encourage other staff and peers to engage in recognition as well. It doesn’t just need to come from the top-down, but also spreading outward. Give staff opportunities to recognize other staff at meetings, through online platforms, or in group messages.

Lastly, review and refresh regularly. Take a look at current practices and see what is working, what isn’t, what can be refreshed, etc. Ask “what recognition practice is losing impact? How can we adjust?”

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Recognition Menu

Micro�

15-sec spotlight

Quick voice memo

Favorite snack

Meeting leader

Peer-to-Peer�

digital “kudos” wall

“Win of the Week”

+1 praise card

High-5 Chain

Monthly�

Wall of Wins

Swap-the-trophy

Monthly reflection

Progress over Perfection party

Presented by

5 min

0:31-0:36

Virtual Activity – (Chat and Annotation) Participants are going to look at the menu here. Each category, Micro, Peer-to-Peet, and Monthly have a variety of ways to recognize others. Participants will use their annotation tool to chose 1 from each category and provide an explanation as to why they chose them in the chat.

In-Person Activity – (Crafting a Menu and Discussion) Participants (in small groups) will see this slide displayed on the screen and with paper and colored markers they will work as a group to identify which Micro, Peer-to-Peer, and Monthly options they wish to put together in their group menu. They will take each 1 they pick and craft a physical menu with their choices and share with the rest of the larger group on their reasoning.

Say

Let’s take a break and look at some examples of recognitions that you can take with you and use in your program. Here we have a menu of recognitions that fall under three separate categories,

Micro Recognitions are things that are small, don’t take a lot of prep or time but can go a long way with staff.

15-second spotlight during team huddle
Quick voice memo of appreciation
Favorite snack with a note
Empower them to lead part of a meeting

Next, we have Peer-to-Peer Recognitions, these are communal amongst staff, and it’s encouraged that staff begin recognizing their peers. We want the recognitions to spread outward and not just be from the top down.

A shared digital “Kudos” wall
“Win of the Week” group chat
+1 Cards: staff write a praise card and put in a box
High-5 Chain: 1 person praises another, that person continues

Lastly, there are Monthly Recognitions, these may take a little more time and resources to plan and can be bigger ways of recognizing your staff on a monthly basis.

Wall of Wins each month
Swap-the-trophy
Monthly reflection prompts
“Progress over Perfection” Celebration

Think of each of these as our Appetizer, our Entree, and our Dessert. With your annotation tool, pick 1 recognition from each category that you feel like you can easily implement in your program.

Debrief

Observe & Identify Concepts

Were there any common recognitions that were chosen?

Apply

Based on the options you chose, what is the reason as to why you chose them? Do you foresee any challenges with trying to implement these recognitions?

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Recognition in Three Areas

Presented by

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Team Meetings

Peer recognition
Highlight progress
Link to team values

Presented by

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1:1’s and Check-Ins

Manager or peer gives recognition

Ask questions

Specifically acknowledge the behavior and the impact

Presented by

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Everyday Interactions

Mini recognitions

Quick verbal thanks
Email cc’ing appropriate people
Micro-celebrations
Peer-to-peer recognition

Presented by

3 min

0:43-0:46

Say

Lastly, let’s take a look at how to implement recognition in your everyday interactions. These everyday recognitions should be mini and easy to implement. Think about quick verbal thanks when another staff has done something positive. Send an email ccin’g the appropriate people so they are made away of these positive behaviors that you have experienced from other staff. Plan for micro celebrations (that don’t take a lot to plan) that help to highlight incremental staff progress. And finally encourage that peer-to-peer recognition; this could be by using a daily/weekly recognition board or even utilizing a web team chat like Teams or Slack.

Taking steps to implement recognition into your everyday interactions helps to make recognition a part of daily culture. It allows you to recognize staff consistently and for those small wins and not just during big events or at large milestones. It helps to build sustainability and overall, it normalizes this behavior.

Presenters to share relatable or personal story.

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Recognition Mapping

Consistent

Occasional

None

Everyday Interactions

None

Consistent

Occasional

Team Meetings

None

Consistent

Occasional

Check-Ins

None

Consistent

Occasional

Presented by

10 min

0:46-0:56

Virtual Activity – (Annotate and Discussion) Participants are going to reflect and map our how they currently use recognition in their three areas. Which Team Meetings, 1:1s, and Everyday interactions they will use the annotation tool to mark where they currently are in their program. None, Occasional, or Consistent with their recognition.

In-Person Activity – (Physical Mapping) You will have three large sheets of paper with each of these diagrams drawn on them and placed around the room. Participants will take sticky notes and go to each, placing their sticky note in the corresponding section they feel they are at for that specific area.

Say

Before we close out of our session today, let’s take a moment to reflect on our current recognition practices in these daily interaction areas of Team Meetings, 1:1s & Check-Ins, and Everyday Interactions. As each of these areas pops up, use your annotation tool to mark where you are currently with your recognition practices; None, Occasional, or Consistent?

Click to display each area.

Debrief

Observe & Identify Concepts

What are some ways we can grow in each of these areas?

Apply

With each area, where did you find yourself? What are some tools from today that can help you improve in each of these areas? What is one recognition action you will take with you in the next 24-hrs.

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Keep It Going

Build trust and confidence
Identify a way to recognize your staff
Check that this work is sustainable

Presented by

4 min

0:56-1:00

Say

Let’s keep it going by remembering these three points.

First, build trust and confidence by expressing genuine appreciation and highlighting progress
Next use the personalized recognition menu you created with micro, peer-to-peer, and monthly acts of recognition to start building a culture of appreciation.
Finally, ensure the impact of recognition lasts by modeling it consistently, embedding it into routines, encouraging peer appreciation, and refreshing practices to keep them meaningful.

Remembering each of these will help you easily implement some of the recognition practices we’ve discussed today. Recognition is crucial to a successful work environment and making sure that your staff and peers feel valued in the important work and programming that they do. We all know the work in OST is vital and so important; so make sure your staff feel that through recognition and appreciation.