Recognition

Recognizing an individual with a simple thank you has a powerful impact on improving participation. At a human level, gaining appreciation is a form of validation in a social or professional setting. At the professional level a recognition culture produces an environment of positivity and collaboration by itself.  Teams who embrace saying “thank you” as part of their weekly routine will find that their conversation will change from punitive or disappointment statements to positive and productive statements.

One client told us that every team meeting now starts with people wanting to talk about recognitions first. Importantly, though, recognition needs to be authentic. Formal emails and presentations are great for big events. The smaller every day recognition should be done informally and in person if possible.  Employees will recognize the sincerity of these informal recognition.