These Administrative Excellence Award honorees and nominators have firsthand experience with the positive effects of receiving or providing praise. Below are their thoughts about the importance of employee recognition.

I think recognition programs are so valuable in keeping good employees — they show that you actually appreciate what someone's doing for you and the company.

Being recognized as the winner of the Administrative Excellence Award was one of the greatest honors that I could have imagined. It was one of the most rewarding experiences that any administrative professional could ever dream of.

Programs that recognize employees are necessary, and they should be sincere and meaningful. They increase morale, help retain employees, lift spirits and instill pride.

The Administrative Excellence Award sitting on my bookshelf at work is a strong source of pride, as well as a constant reminder of the high-level professionalism, administrative support, best practices and value I bring to my firm, its clients, and to the administrative profession in general.

All our administrative staff have recognized the high degree of professionalism they can bring to the company based on Judy's Administrative Excellence Award win. It's great to see administrative staff recognized for their accomplishments in the same way other professionals in the office are. Awards such as this raise the bar for all — and we all benefit.

I think timely and meaningful recognition encourages employees to want to do their best every day. When you see someone you respect being recognized, that in turn inspires you to emulate the positive behaviors they exhibit.

Winning the Administrative Excellence Award was absolutely a high point in my career! I felt very honored, and it was a kind of validation for the extra value I feel I bring to my job. The response from my managers and coworkers was overwhelming, and it made me even more proud to be an administrative professional!

Recognition programs are extremely valuable because they help to acknowledge those who go above and beyond, as well as those who are doing a great job every day!

This honor has made me more aware of the example I set for other administrative professionals through my actions. I find myself more actively recognizing coworkers by sharing the wonderful contributions they have made with their supervisors.

Recognition programs reinforce to employees that they are valued and highlight for others the qualities that make an exceptional team member. We are fortunate to have a strong company-wide commitment to recognizing staff.

As a result of receiving this honor, Stacy has focused on offering even more innovative ideas for the organization. She continues to be a model for other administrative professionals, both within and outside our organization, to emulate. She is consistently challenging others to be exceptional.