Below are the most frequent mistakes that reduce adoption, credibility, and impact in suggestion and recognition systems.

1. Slow or Inconsistent Review

  • Leaving suggestions in “To be reviewed” for long periods.

  • Failing to provide reviewer notes.

  • Allowing accepted ideas to stall without visible progress.

Impact: Staff lose trust and stop submitting ideas.

2. Treating It as a Launch Initiative Instead of a Habit

  • Strong launch activity followed by silence.

  • No regular reference in meetings.

  • No visible leadership participation after month one.

Impact: Engagement spikes briefly and then declines.

3. Setting Unrealistic Recognition Targets

  • Increasing the multiplier too quickly.

  • Setting targets that cannot realistically be reached.

  • Changing the goal frequently without explanation.

Impact: Progress bar stalls, motivation drops, participation slows.

Targets should stretch behaviour slightly, not discourage it.

4. Letting Recognition Become Generic

  • Repeated “Great job” messages.

  • No reference to impact.

  • Using it casually rather than purposefully.

Impact: Recognition loses meaning and becomes background noise.

Encourage specific, impact-focused messages.

5. Allowing It to Become Social Chat

  • Long informal comment threads.

  • Personal conversations unrelated to work.

  • Off-topic recognitions.

Impact: The platform drifts from performance tool to internal social media.

Keep it focused on contribution and improvement.

6. Ignoring Participation Data

  • Not monitoring recognition participation rate.

  • Not tracking suggestion submission trends.

  • Failing to act when engagement drops.

Impact: Decline goes unnoticed until momentum is lost.

Recognition participation is a leading indicator. Monitor it monthly.

7. Not Closing the Loop

  • Accepted suggestions not visibly implemented.

  • Savings not communicated.

  • No update when projects complete.

Impact: Staff believe ideas disappear into a black box.

Always communicate outcomes.

8. Over-Administering the System

  • Excessive editing of user submissions.

  • Overcomplicating categories.

  • Introducing too many rules.

Impact: Staff feel controlled rather than encouraged.

Maintain governance, but keep the system simple.

9. Failing to Lead by Example

  • Senior managers not participating.

  • No cross-department recognition.

  • Leaders not submitting ideas.

Impact: Staff perceive the system as optional.

Visible leadership participation drives cultural adoption.

10. Treating Recognition and Suggestions as Separate

  • Focusing only on ideas.

  • Ignoring recognition as a behavioural driver.

  • Removing visibility from the Display Wall.

Impact: Idea flow declines over time.

Recognition increases engagement.
Engagement increases idea submission.