Everyone rewards perfectionism, everyone:
DFCC Bank management believes that perfectionism deserves not just acknowledgement, but celebration, as it sets the tone for excellence across the organization. One of its cornerstone mechanisms is the Service Excellence Recognition Program, which highlights individuals and teams that consistently exceed performance expectations. Its ‘Above and Beyond’ strategy, spotlights those who exemplify DFCC’s core values such as authenticity, collaboration, and courage while delivering results with exceptional precision and care, says Paduma Subasinghe.
Recognition isn’t limited to applause; it is also backed by financial rewards, promotions, and fast-track career paths for those who demonstrate sustained excellence. Says Paduma: “We ensure visibility by acknowledging these contributors across internal channels such as our all-staff town halls and newsletters. Externally, we weave these stories into our employer branding campaigns, positioning them as role models and DFCC brand ambassadors. This not only motivates the recognized employees but also inspires others within the organization to strive for similar impact.”
Nikhil Bharadwaj believes that celebrating excellence is essential for sustaining a high-performing team. Beyond the formal reward mechanisms offered at Bajaj Allianz General Insurance, the focus is on recognizing perfectionism by providing precise and meaningful career development opportunities. Team members who demonstrate consistent excellence are offered accelerated growth paths and are nominated for relevant training programs that support their professional goals. The company also encourages them to pursue further education and skill development tailored to their roles. These initiatives acknowledge individual achievement and enhance the team’s overall effectiveness.
In addition, creative contributions are highlighted during team meetings, accomplishments are acknowledged in internal forums, ensuring visibility of impactful work to senior leadership. Celebrating big wins and small milestones helps foster a culture of appreciation and motivation. It reinforces the idea that perfectionism is not just about results but the intent, effort, and consistent commitment to quality. You can only outperform your industry peers if your organization has a culture of meritocracy, which has been built at Bajaj Allianz General Insurance.
At Aadhar Housing Finance, each team member is publicly honoured amongst other team members. We ensure that there is some form of celebration to commemorate these goals that the team achieves, says Noel Mascarenhas.
Celebrating perfectionism in a healthy and constructive manner requires a thoughtful approach. Vipul Sharma prioritizes maintaining high standards while avoiding burnout, micromanagement, and over analysis at Aye Finance.
Vipul emphasizes the importance of craftsmanship over mere speed. He recognizes and reward quality work by nominating team members for monthly awards during town hall meetings, in accordance with the organization’s policy. This not only acknowledges their hard work but also motivates others to strive for excellence.
He also celebrates perfectionism by recognizing the effort that goes into exceptional work. Team lunches or diner or ‘chai per charcha’ are a great way to appreciate these high standards while fostering trust and connection among team members. These gatherings create a space for open conversations, strengthen relationships, and reinforce a culture that values both excellence and a sense of belonging.
Centrum Housing Finance recognizes and reward team members who demonstrate consistent meticulousness and proactive identification of potential compliance issues, especially those that directly benefit our LMI customers. This includes acknowledging error-free audit reports from branches, successful implementation of new compliance measures across multiple states, and positive feedback from internal stakeholders on the thoroughness of our processes. Rewards include performance and retention bonuses, public recognition during town hall meetings, and opportunities for advanced training, explains Mayank Jain.
Jatin Satpute lists 3 recognitions that have been embedded in the routines at Cosmos Bank:
1. Quarterly recognition for ‘most meticulous work’ or ‘error-free delivery under pressure.’
2. Public appreciation during leadership meetings. Analysts who consistently fine-tune detection rules or identify emerging risks are spotlighted in internal meetings.
3. Inclusion in high-visibility projects for consistent performers.
Small gestures – like celebrating clean audit reports or acknowledging perfect incident response turnaround times – have gone a long way in reinforcing the quality culture.
Samunnati runs monthly recognition campaigns to celebrate team members who demonstrate accuracy and consistency in using the new systems, says Kiran Vedula. Champions are identified based on key metrics like volume of proposals completed, FPOs graded, CAMs generated, and turnaround time. These champions are recognized internally and appreciated across the organization. The company also identifies regional champions who not only lead by example but also support their peers in adopting the new tech and processes smoothly.
Alagarsamy A P at Toyota Financial Services India says that in a function like Internal Audit, accuracy of work / perfectionism is something taken for granted and it is a minimum requirement expected from the team. Hence, we do not provide any material reward to the team members. However, we do appreciate their good work during the team meetings.
While we celebrate excellence, the company doesn’t penalize anyone making unintentional mistakes as it considers this as integral part of the learning process.
Algarsamy quotes Adam Osbourne: ‘The most valuable thing you can make is a mistake. You can’t learn anything from being perfect.’
