I happen to be preparing this article on a very reflective Thanksgiving weekend. And no doubt tied to the holiday, a reflection on gratitude, and its ties to recognition.
At its root, recognition conveys “I see you. I see how you have contributed and supported our success. What you did is reflective of your talent that is part of what is uniquely and beautifully you.”
It’s their job
Sometimes, in the most candid and safe conversations with leaders, this theme emerges that “it’s their job”. Why would I need to recognize them or say thank you, it’s their job, and they get a deposit every two weeks that says thank you already.
Research shows that yes, of course pay is important. And yet job satisfaction, employee motivation, and corporate loyalty in many cases is driven more from recognition than from pay.
Recognition does not need to be expensive, or dramatic. Frequency is important, tailoring of the message is important, and understanding what motivates the person you are recognizing is important. That is a bit of the catch. You need to know and understand the person you are recognizing enough to deliver something that is meaningful. Even something as simple as – are they a Tim’s person, or a Starbuck’s person – means the exact same $10 have-coffee-on-me moment can land completely differently.
Wow, that’s hard
So how is it that something relatively simple can feel so challenging? Here are some simple tips can get your started on your path.
Ask them. Most leaders sit down with their direct reports on a regular basis. (And note, for some employees your time as a leader can also be a form of recognition!) How about asking them? “What motivates you? If I wanted to say a little thank you for a job well done, what kinds of things do you enjoy?”.
Write it down. You no doubt keep some type of employee records and notes that support your performance and salary reviews. Set aside a little corner for recognition and make little notes from your observations.
Make the time. Whether it’s in your phone, or your calendar, or whatever reminder system you have, put in a weekly recurring check for yourself. “Have you recognized someone – lately?” Work gets busy, your brain gets full. Even a weekly nudge to yourself can help you look at your team and your business differently. As a leader, you are no doubt focused on what can be improved. This helps your brain reset just a bit to take a moment to acknowledge – for yourself and others – that there is a whole lot that goes well week in week out.
Create a budget. As part of your annual planning exercise set aside an allocation for recognition. And use it. Track the spend on it the same way you would any business expense line. What is interesting is that at the beginning, regardless of what budget is set, underspending is more of a challenge than overspending.
No peanut butter. This is a tough one. When starting into making recognition as part of your leadership practice, there’s sometimes a jump to what I think of as “peanut butter” recognition. It gets spread around and tends to cover every piece of toast in the same way. Generic recognition is definitely part of a leader’s role as well (“great job everyone”), but what it does mean is that being able to tailor and direct your recognition for specific contributions is when it really brings to life for your teams what good and great looks like, and sets a path for that to be repeated and expanded. “Great job everyone. And I’d like to make special note of the excel spreadsheet that Joey developed that helped us stay organized and on track the whole way through, thank you for that Joey, here’s coffee on me.”
One last word
Most of the context for this reflection has been in the role as a leader and recognition of employees. These principles though apply across your business eco-system. Customers, suppliers, your peers, and even your leader. (Yes, leaders are people too!)
I’ve listed below a few articles that might be of interest to you through your learning journey. And I’d like to close by saying thank you. I appreciate that you’ve taken the time to read my article and hope it inspires a world with just a little more gratitude and appreciation, because in my world, that is a beautiful thing.
Yvonne Thevenot
Senior Advisor
Forbes – “The Importance Of Recognition In The Workplace”
PositivePsychology.com – “Employee Recognition: How to Motivate and Reward Your Team”
Improve Workspace – “The Impact of Rewards and Recognition on Motivation”
HR Reporter – “Many Employers Still Missing Out on Meaningful Recognition says Expert”
Entrepreneur – “Base Pay vs. Recognition: What’s More Important”
