GIVE RECOGNITION
WHY IT MATTERS
Few things will inspire people to continue to give their very best efforts like receiving sincere gratitude for the work they do. Few things will garner more loyalty towards a leader than a sincere and well-timed “thank you.” Most people work hard, and try to give their best, and a moment of recognition can make all the difference. Leaders that know how to appropriately give employee recognition motivate their people to greater performance and help them feel happy, valued, and appreciated while doing it. Leaders that fail to show gratitude, or give recognition, may see steady declines in people’s willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty because they feel underappreciated and undervalued.
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
Leaders that give recognition and reward people for their hard work know there are few things that will garner more trust and promote more loyalty than a sincere act of gratitude. They know that a culture based on gratitude will do more to promote employee engagement than almost anything else. They set the tone and pattern by trying to catch people doing something good. They are quick to express thanks through formal recognition and private conversation.
Leaders that recognize and reward other people want to see people succeed and feel satisfaction in their work. They don’t feel threatened by other’s success. They don’t take credit for accomplishments that aren’t their own. They want to see people get credit for and be recognized for accomplishing great things. They are quick to fade into the background and let other people enjoy the spotlight and accolades they have earned.
Leaders that recognize and reward others implement formal programs and processes to help motivate, encourage, incentivize, and compensate their employees. They see these efforts as a key part of their human resource and performance management strategies. They teach managers and leaders across the organization the power of expressing thanks, and how to use the processes and tools available to them. They teach managers how to fully implement formal recognition programs and the value of shocking people with surprise appreciation when they least expect it.
Leaders that give recognition know that employees who feel valued will give more, be more, and achieve more than those who don’t. They look to reward both the small accomplishments and the large ones. They express gratitude in a timely manner, in the moment when it will matter most, and when it will be most personally meaningful. They ensure their expressions of gratitude come across as real and sincere. Leaders that recognize and reward their people are careful to not hand out gratitude so freely or frequently that it becomes diluted and loses its meaning.
Leaders that effectively give recognition know their people individually. They recognize people in their own unique way. They know what motivates them, and they know how they do and don’t want to be recognized. They know some people like public attention while others prefer private praise, and some like material rewards while others may value those that are more intrinsic.
BELIEFS
BEST PRACTICES
SELF-REFLECTION
WORDS OF CAUTION
PSYCHOMETRIC 360 QUESTIONS
Few things will inspire people to continue to give their very best efforts like receiving sincere gratitude for the work they do. Few things will garner more loyalty towards a leader than a sincere and well-timed “thank you.” Most people work hard, and try to give their best, and a moment of recognition can make all the difference. Leaders that know how to appropriately give employee recognition motivate their people to greater performance and help them feel happy, valued, and appreciated while doing it. Leaders that fail to show gratitude, or give recognition, may see steady declines in people’s willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty because they feel underappreciated and undervalued.
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
Leaders that give recognition and reward people for their hard work know there are few things that will garner more trust and promote more loyalty than a sincere act of gratitude. They know that a culture based on gratitude will do more to promote employee engagement than almost anything else. They set the tone and pattern by trying to catch people doing something good. They are quick to express thanks through formal recognition and private conversation.
Leaders that recognize and reward other people want to see people succeed and feel satisfaction in their work. They don’t feel threatened by other’s success. They don’t take credit for accomplishments that aren’t their own. They want to see people get credit for and be recognized for accomplishing great things. They are quick to fade into the background and let other people enjoy the spotlight and accolades they have earned.
Leaders that recognize and reward others implement formal programs and processes to help motivate, encourage, incentivize, and compensate their employees. They see these efforts as a key part of their human resource and performance management strategies. They teach managers and leaders across the organization the power of expressing thanks, and how to use the processes and tools available to them. They teach managers how to fully implement formal recognition programs and the value of shocking people with surprise appreciation when they least expect it.
Leaders that give recognition know that employees who feel valued will give more, be more, and achieve more than those who don’t. They look to reward both the small accomplishments and the large ones. They express gratitude in a timely manner, in the moment when it will matter most, and when it will be most personally meaningful. They ensure their expressions of gratitude come across as real and sincere. Leaders that recognize and reward their people are careful to not hand out gratitude so freely or frequently that it becomes diluted and loses its meaning.
Leaders that effectively give recognition know their people individually. They recognize people in their own unique way. They know what motivates them, and they know how they do and don’t want to be recognized. They know some people like public attention while others prefer private praise, and some like material rewards while others may value those that are more intrinsic.
BELIEFS
- The timing of your expression of gratitude is almost as important as the expression itself.
- People can always tell if you are or aren’t sincere when expressing gratitude, so don’t say it unless you mean it.
- There are few things more pathetic than someone who expresses false gratitude for their own personal interest or gain.
- There is no faster way to win the loyalty and confidence of others than to be quick to point out the good they do and say thank you.
- Everyone wants to feel appreciated, recognized, and valued. When they do, people will be more likely to give their very best.
- A verbal “thank you” will always be welcome. At times though, it is important to support words with tangible rewards.
- The way in which people want to be recognized is as individual as they are. You need to learn what makes people tick.
- Although formal recognition programs are important, it shouldn’t ever require a formal program to say thank you.
BEST PRACTICES
- Give credit to others when credit is due.
- Know how people want to be rewarded.
- Do not take people’s efforts for granted.
- Be excited about other’s accomplishments.
- Recognize people at the right time.
- Seek to reward others for their work.
- Let people be in their own spotlight.
- Create recognition programs and strategies.
- Show gratitude for small and large successes.
- Rely on gratitude to garnish loyalty.
- Express gratitude to others quickly and often.
- Give praise in the moment, not later.
- Provide resources for use in giving recognition.
- Know what motivates people and what doesn’t.
- Strive to be sincere and not mechanical.
- Do not give lip-service gratitude.
- Match rewards to the work accomplished.
- Know when to say thank you in public or private.
- Do not take credit for your employees’ work.
- Put in place standard recognition programs.
- Guard against diluting recognition efforts.
- Hold leaders accountable for rewarding people.
SELF-REFLECTION
- Do I recognize and reward people for their hard work, or do I just expect them to give their best without being thanked?
- Do I believe a culture of gratitude will lead to increased productivity and results, or do I think it is not important?
- Do I give thanks and recognition readily, or do I hesitate or forget to give people the gratitude they deserve?
- Do I freely allow others to get the credit for their hard work, or do I have to be in the spotlight at all times?
- Do I have formal recognition and rewards programs to incentivize employees, or do I not see their long-term value?
- Do I show by example the importance of expressing gratitude, or do I ask other people to do what I don’t do?
- Do I recognize people at just the right time, or do I wait too long to thank people for their efforts?
- Do I know how people want to be recognized, or do I fail to discover what will be the most meaningful to them?
WORDS OF CAUTION
- Don’t be so free and gracious in your efforts to give recognition that you dilute its effects and cause doubt about your sincerity.
- Don’t create an entitlement feeling in the organization where people feel they should be rewarded for everything they do.
- Don’t be so concerned about giving recognition that you fail to differentiate between the top and bottom performers.
PSYCHOMETRIC 360 QUESTIONS
- My job is more important than those around me.
- There are times in my career that I have felt overrun by others.
- The credit one deserves is evidence of their position/title.
- Recognition is about gratitude, not performance improvement.
- The best part of my day is recognizing the good work others do.
- The most important thing a leader does is know what motivates each person in the organization.