Building Company Culture Through Peer Recognition

A company is built by bringing individuals together towards a common goal, and here at Delgado Stone, we are dedicated to supporting each other while chasing individual and company goals. Creating a culture where teammates recognize each other's hard work was the goal behind a new initiative started in 2022 known as Teammate of the Month. This exciting new idea was created by our leadership team, for the company's production team and has since grown into more company-wide recognition.

Word cloud in the main hallway at the Delgado Stone facility.

The first Teammate of the Month was awarded to Ernesto, the Production Team Leader, in January 2022. His leadership over the last decade at Delgado Stone does not go unrecognized by anyone on our team from the production team and beyond. At the beginning of the following months, Tyler, the Director of Operations would ask each production teammate to submit a vote during their afternoon break, with the name of who they thought was the most deserving teammate during that month. The criteria are subjective to each individual, but often based on who each person believes is executing their job to the highest level, helping others as needed, or pitching in through different roles. At the end of the month the teammate with the most peer votes is announced as the Teammate of the Month, along with the announcement comes the Delgado Stone championship belt seen above. When asked about the inspiration for the championship belt Tyler said (the championship belt)... "is the first thing you think of when you think of an individual holding a prize in a sports aspect." Going on to say that "each teammate gets their name engraved on the belt, as well, for extra special recognition." Along with collecting the praise of their peers, and the championship belt, the teammate of the month is rewarded monetarily as well.

Delgado Stone's Production Team Leader, Ernesto, earned the first Teammate of the Month nomination.

The Teammate of the Month initiative also helped Tyler and the other team leaders reward the production team outside of food trucks and catered lunches (even though we love those too). "We were looking to emphasize the team aspect and find a way for individuals to recognize each other and build up a team atmosphere similar to a sports team," Tyler said. Going on to explain that "It's a way for the guys to be recognized and more importantly, to recognize each other and create comradery," 

This monthly peer-nominated award has improved the culture in a number of positive and noticeable ways. Over the last year, teammates interact with one another more as a whole, rather than in smaller groups. They're also more willing and likely to "jump in" and help one another outside of their primary responsibilities. Another way the team has grown--literally--is through teammates referring friends and family members to join our team. That is a testament to the culture that has been built here over the years. As recently as the last hires made for our production team are directly related to two of our current teammates. 

The Chain Gang award acknowledges teammates who exemplify Delgado Stones' core values.

There was a new addition to the teammate recognition initiative in the second half of 2022 as well. The "Chain Gang" award, (inspired by the turnover chain made famous by the University of Miami football team) is given to the teammate who personifies the core values of Delgado Stone. These values (seen on the award) are the traits that our team aims to embody daily. The Chain Gang award winner is chosen by CEO Mike Wolfe, with recommendations from the team. Nominees not only stand out in their roles but are nominated by another team member.

Peer-to-peer nominations and achievements have proven to provide a boost to the culture here. There is a genuine excitement for the monthly and weekly recipients often accompanied by teammates going out of their way to issue congratulations. CEO Mike Wolfe reaffirmed the value of the peer nomination system and "believes the best part of the new incentives are that winners are voted on by the team, rather than by the boss appointing people. Getting recognition from people you work closest with makes a difference."  "Making sure our team is taken care of and recognizing the work they put in allows us to create products and provide service that dealers and customers have come to appreciate from our brand," he said. We are incredibly excited about what the future holds for our team as we continue to add team members that Lead By Example.  To be a part of our journey sign up for Job Alerts.