Madison is a global leader in employee recognition and incentives, pioneering digital programs since 1995. As an employee-owned company, we deliver recognition, events, and incentive travel solutions that strengthen culture and drive results.
Enterprise Power. Mid-Enterprise Simplicity.
A few years ago, when the economy was in a deep recession, I wrote a white paper that argued (with passion and purpose) that recognition still mattered. It presented the case for ramping up (and not reducing) employee recognition. My thesis was simple: companies who took the attitude that their…
What makes an employee happy? We talk a lot about recognition in this blog — being appreciated for what you do by the people you do it with. And while consistent recognition is the key to keeping an employee satisfied, it’s what people feel as they are being recognized that…
In the mid-sixties the term “generation gap” summarized all of the age-related conflicts that positioned young against old. Generation differences were big back then. They caused friction all through society. Along the way so many classic songs were written about it including The Who’s timeless anthem, “My Generation.” Fast-forward 50…
Ok, so the real Groundhog Day is behind us. Punxsutawney Phil, that clairvoyant groundhog, saw his shadow. Groundhog Day has come to mean more than a longer winter or an early spring. Since Bill Murray turned the notion of Groundhog Day into a repetitive existence, more people associate it to…
“Fake news” has been all over the “real news” lately. Some people are deliberately publishing hoaxes or circulating conspiracy theories (and other forms of disinformation) to advance their agendas. Fake news has damaging consequences. It can erode perceptions of reality. A constant stream of it can challenge the truth and/or…
Who is Alexa? Or should I ask, what is she? Alexa is the digital assistant inside Amazon’s new voice activated smart speaker called the Echo system. You can ask it to do a lot of different things such as play music, update you on the news, tell you about the…
The quality of bosses (and the impact they have on their employees) is the biggest influence on organizational performance. Lousy bosses create confusion and stress; they contribute to higher turnover and lower productivity. When employees leave a company they often cite poor relationships with their superiors. On the other hand…
After three contentious presidential debates (not to mention numerous clashes throughout the primary season), we can all finally agree on one thing — we are sick and tired of debates! Fortunately, there is no debating the value of employee recognition. Organizations that consistently recognize their workers have higher levels of…
Just about everyone, at some point in their career, has dealt with a leader who micromanages. Simply mentioning the term “micromanage” in a casual conversation can start an exchange of anecdotes and stories of executives who over managed their employees while working on major projects or even day-to-day activities. At…
Consider this scenario: You’re an Executive Director at EFG Corp and you’ve been actively using your company’s social recognition technology to deliver rewards and recognition to your team of 50 people. You’ve identified your rockstar managers and have been recognizing them to show your appreciation and to inspire the rest…
