In The Nordstrom Way, Executive Vice President and Regional Manager Len Kuntz explains four keys to a good recognition meeting:

1. Demonstrate sincere appreciation for the people you are honoring — “That sounds obvious, but it's not very easy to do. You need to talk about what makes a person different, how she adds value — that's important.”

2. Emphasize team spirit — “We want our people to say, ‘I work for the greatest company in the world.’”

3. Teach people something new — “I like to teach at least one specific subject, such as sales techniques or promotional ideas. People really enjoy that.”

4. Perpetuate the culture — “We discuss key points about our culture without getting too convoluted or too long. We reinforce what makes Nordstrom unique and how the culture works for them.”

SOURCE: The Nordstrom Way to Customer Service Excellence (2005, John Wiley & Sons Inc.)