Never in all of our studies of small and growing companies have we ever run into a group that has as much fun rewarding people for accomplishment.

Topic for discussion: What techniques does Modern use to recognize people?

Answer: They have something called the Image Awards and one of the employees, on his own time and with zero budget, makes a film every year which stars the winners.

Topic for discussion: Why do you think the film is so useful?

Answer: It can be shared with friends and family outside the company and it can be shared over and over and over. It is not like a banquet where awards are passed out -- that would be a one-time event with a limited guest list. Michael Foster, the film maker told us that lots of children say to their parents, "Let's watch the movie Daddy's in. Or, let's watch the movie Mommy's in." This is very powerful.

Also, there is something magical about the TV or film screen. We have grown up watching TV and the people we see there seem bigger than life, right? The film is not the only reason the awards program works.

You heard Sara say the prizes are designed to give the winner an experience rather than cash. This way when the employee comes back from a spa or a trip to Las Vegas, they get to tell the story of what they did. They pass along the good feelings they had when they were experiencing the prize. This creates a long-lasting buzz. If a person wins a trip today, they might not take it for several weeks. They come back and now there's more excitement about the prize.

Sara also told us that annual awards are only part of the recognition process. Anytime a manager sees someone doing something great, the manager hands out a Spot Award. The Spot Awards are movie tickets or coupons for Blockbuster movies and the prizes change quarterly as do the Image Awards gifts.

You think about it: What are you doing now to recognize accomplishment? What can you do to make it more fun and more exciting? One company we know about has a Fun Team. The task of this team is to create fun on a regular basis. Can you combine fun with recognition and see what happens to the energy at your place?