Tag Recognition

Recognizing the Importance of Recognition – Part Two

Steve Keating Leave a comment

One of the leading causes of procrastination is lack of know-how. People delay starting a task or project because they don’t know how to begin. They also lack resources and don’t know who to ask for help, if they even have the courage to ask.

I think that’s also one of the big reasons why more people in leadership positions don’t give their people the recognition they often deserve. They know their people need and appreciate recognition, but they aren’t really sure what recognition actually is. They also lack an understanding of the various forms of recognition. So instead of providing their people with meaningful recognition, they provide themselves with the excuse of being too busy to recognize anyone.

So let’s provide some series “know-how” here so there will be no need for the “busy” excuse.

Providing recognition to your team is essential for fostering engagement, boosting morale, and reinforcing desired behaviors. Here are some tried-and-true suggestions for providing truly meaningful recognition to your people.

1. Tailor the Recognition

Know the Individual: Some employees prefer public praise, while others may value private acknowledgment.

Personalized Rewards: Consider their interests, preferences, and professional aspirations.

2. Be Timely

Recognize achievements as soon as possible after they occur. Immediate feedback reinforces the connection between the effort and the acknowledgment.

3. Be Specific

Highlight exactly what the employee did and why it mattered.

Example: Instead of just saying, “Great job,” say, “Your innovative solution to the customer’s issue helped us earn the sale on time and exceeded their expectations.”

4. Use a Variety of Methods

Verbal Praise: During meetings or one-on-one sessions.

Written Recognition: Personal notes, emails, or newsletters.

Formal Programs: Employee of the Month or annual awards.

Monetary/Non-Monetary Rewards: Bonuses, gift cards, extra time off, or experiences.

5. Celebrate Milestones

Acknowledge work anniversaries, project completions, or personal achievements.

Host celebrations for the team’s successes.

6. Encourage Peer-to-Peer Recognition

Implement systems that allow employees to recognize each other, such as a shout-out board or team kudos during meetings.

7. Leverage Technology

Use platforms or apps designed for employee recognition, where contributions can be celebrated company-wide.

8. Incorporate Into Culture

Make recognition a regular practice, not a sporadic event. Encourage leaders at all levels to model this behavior.

9. Focus on Impact

Show how their efforts contribute to the organization’s goals and impact the team.

10. Involve Leadership

Recognition from senior leaders carries weight. A quick message or handshake from an executive can leave a lasting impression.

Examples of Recognition Actions:

A surprise thank-you lunch for the team.

Highlighting an employee in a company newsletter or on social media.

Publicly sharing their achievements in meetings.

Offering professional development opportunities as a reward.

Recognizing team members doesn’t happen by accident. The key is consistency and authenticity. Don’t just say words that recognize people; mean those words. People can sense sincerity and they can also tell when you’re just going through the motions. People who feel genuinely appreciated are more likely to remain engaged and motivated.

But the best reason of all for giving your people consistent recognition is this: they deserve it. And if you’re an Authentic Leader, that is the only reason you should need.

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Recognizing the Importance of Recognition – Part One

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Most people in leadership positions claim to know the value of recognizing their teams. But a solid majority of them provide little to no recognition to their people.

That’s because they are so busy doing the urgent things of management that they have no time to do the important things of leadership. Like recognizing their people, for instance.

I should tell you that when mentoring people who say they are leaders, I am highly critical of those who say they don’t have time to recognize their people. Leadership is about people and it’s only about people. You manage things; you lead people. I’m fine with someone only having time to manage, so long as they stop calling themselves a leader. If you do not have time for people then you do not have time to lead.

People don’t just want recognition; they need recognition. Receiving recognition has a profound impact on individuals. It satisfies several important psychological and emotional needs. Here’s how you help people when you decide to authentically lead and provide meaningful recognition to your people.

Self-Esteem and Confidence
Recognition validates a person’s efforts, skills, and achievements, reinforcing their sense of worth. It can lead to greater confidence in their abilities and encourage them to take on new challenges.

Enhances Motivation
Acknowledgment of hard work often motivates individuals to continue performing well. When people feel their efforts are noticed and valued, they are more likely to maintain or improve their level of contribution. Money gets people to meet the job requirements; motivation causes them to exceed them.

Strengthens Social Bonds
Recognition fosters a sense of connection and belonging. Whether it’s in a workplace, family, or community, being acknowledged by others builds trust and strengthens relationships.

Reinforces Positive Behavior
Recognizing someone’s good work reinforces the specific behaviors or attitudes you want to see repeated. It encourages a culture of positivity and mutual respect.

Reduces Stress and Burnout
Feeling unappreciated can lead to frustration and disengagement. Recognition acts as a counterbalance, providing emotional support and reducing stress.

Fosters Personal Growth
Recognition often comes with constructive feedback, which helps individuals identify their strengths and areas for improvement, aiding in personal and professional development.

Creates a Sense of Purpose
Knowing that their contributions matter gives people a sense of purpose and fulfillment. This can be particularly important in challenging times, reminding them of the value they bring to others.

Regular, meaningful recognition helps cultivate a positive mindset and an environment where individuals feel seen, valued, and inspired to grow. I know it may seem as if you’re too busy to provide regular recognition but the reality is that, when you’re busy so are your people. That’s when they most need recognition.

Authentic Leaders do not mistake the everyday urgent tasks with the vital importance of truly leading their people. They figure out how to do both. In our next post, we will discuss the “how” of providing your people with sincere, impactful, and meaningful recognition. Don’t miss it!

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People Matter and They Need to Know It

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Even though I may have never met you, I know something about you that is irrefutable. What I know is that you have a basic human need to know that you matter. That you are significant to someone. That you make a difference in the world.

I would like to think that I don’t personally have that need. In some ways, it almost feels like a weakness to me. Except I know that deep inside, I do have that need. I also know that it absolutely is NOT a weakness. Having that need is simply proof that I am human.

A long time ago, in a land far far away, (and a heck of a lot cooler) I was celebrating my 10th anniversary for a company that I would go on to work at for a couple more decades. For each milestone anniversary, the company would allow you to select a remembrance gift from a catalog.

On the date of my anniversary, the gift was presented to me by a couple of my bosses. One of them was the Director of Sales. I’d bet a million bucks that he wouldn’t remember this, but he said one short, simple sentence to me that I’ll likely never forget. He said, “Thanks for what you do; you make us all better.”

And there it was. Verification that I helped people. I made a difference. What I did mattered. It was recognized and verbalized by someone I greatly respected.

I had dozens and dozens of cards and letters from people, literally from all over the world. They thanked me for helping them and for the difference I had made in their lives. But somehow, having someone look you in the eye and say it to your face was much more powerful.

If you’re a leader, you absolutely must understand that your people NEED to know they matter. That what they do makes a difference. Making certain they know that, without a doubt, is one of the most vital functions of leadership.

A leader can demonstrate to their people that they matter by taking actions that emphasize respect, recognition, and support. Here’s how:

Active Listening:

• Engage in Conversations: A leader should listen attentively to their team members, valuing their input and ideas. This shows that their opinions are respected and considered.

• Respond Thoughtfully: Acknowledge concerns and provide constructive feedback, demonstrating that their voices are heard and valued.

Recognition and Appreciation:

• Celebrate Achievements: Recognize individual and team accomplishments publicly. This could be through awards, shout-outs in meetings, or personalized notes of appreciation.

• Acknowledge Effort: Even when outcomes aren’t perfect, recognizing the effort and dedication shows that the leader values their commitment.

Empowerment:

• Delegate Meaningful Tasks: Trust team members with responsibilities that challenge them and allow for growth. This signals that the leader believes in their capabilities.

• Provide Opportunities for Development: Support their professional growth through training, mentorship, and opportunities to lead projects, showing that their development is important.

Support and Advocacy:

• Be Accessible: Maintain an open-door policy where team members feel comfortable sharing their thoughts, concerns, or ideas.

• Advocate for Their Needs: Stand up for the team’s needs, whether it’s for resources, time, or recognition, demonstrating that their well-being is a priority.

Foster a Positive Culture:

• Promote Inclusivity: Ensure that everyone feels included, respected, and valued, regardless of their role or background.

• Encourage Work-Life Balance: Respect personal time and promote a culture that values health and well-being, showing that the leader cares about their holistic experience.

Lead by Example:

• Demonstrate Integrity and Empathy: By showing fairness, empathy, and consistency in actions, a leader can reinforce the message that everyone matters.

• Be Transparent: Share relevant information and explain decisions to help team members understand the bigger picture, fostering trust and a sense of belonging.

As a leader, you should consistently exhibit these behaviors. They create an environment where people feel valued, respected, and motivated, reinforcing the idea that they matter.

The key word in that sentence is “consistently.” Helping people understand how and why they matter needs to be a part of what you do every day. You don’t do it in your spare time; you don’t do it when you can find the time. You put it at the top of your daily task list. You don’t allow a day to pass without letting at least one member of your organization know how they made a difference. No excuses!

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How to Give a Meaningful Compliment

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I often ask during leadership presentations how many of the attendees compliment the people they lead. Most of the hands in the room go up. Then I ask for some examples of compliments they’ve given their people.

My favorite is “nice job” followed by “way to go” and “keep up the good work.”

I don’t know what those phrases are, but they are most certainly NOT compliments. They are what I call “throw-away” comments. They require little to no thought and carry almost no weight. They are not meaningful statements.

Which is sad because we all crave the recognition and feeling of accomplishment that comes with a sincere and meaningful compliment. Most leaders toss out those throw-away comments because they don’t understand the power of a sincere compliment. Many of those so called “leaders” are also too lazy to invest the effort to develop a compliment that is both meaningful and memorable.

But it’s really not that hard, and the “return” on that effort can be literally life changing. So if you’re a leader, or simply a caring person who wants to make a difference in the life of another person here’s how you can do it.

Giving a meaningful compliment involves being genuine, specific, and thoughtful. Below is a step-by-step guide to ensure your compliment resonates and makes a positive impact.

• Be Genuine: Authenticity is key. Compliments should come from a place of sincerity. Avoid exaggeration or flattery that doesn’t feel true to you.

• Be Specific: General compliments like “You’re great” can feel hollow. Instead, focus on particular qualities or actions. For example, “You did an excellent job organizing the event. Your attention to detail really showed in how smoothly everything went.”

• Focus on Effort and Qualities: Highlight the effort someone put into something or a specific quality they possess. This shows you recognize and value their hard work or character traits. For instance, “I really admire your dedication to your work. Your perseverance is inspiring.”

• Relate to Impact: Explain how their actions or qualities have positively affected you or others. This adds depth to your compliment. For example, “Your kindness in helping me with that project last week really made a difference. It relieved a lot of my stress.”

• Be Timely: Deliver your compliment close to the event or behavior you’re praising. Timeliness ensures the compliment is relevant and feels more genuine.

• Use Appropriate Language: Tailor your words to the person’s preferences and the context of your relationship. For a colleague, you might say, “Your presentation was very insightful,” whereas for a close friend, you might say, “I love how you always know how to make everyone feel welcome.”

• Body Language and Tone: Ensure your nonverbal cues match your words. Maintain eye contact, smile, and use a warm tone to convey sincerity.

• Avoid Comparisons: Complimenting someone by comparing them to others can diminish the value of your compliment. Focus on the individual’s unique qualities or achievements.

Here are a few examples of meaningful compliments:

• To a coworker: “Your creativity in that marketing campaign was impressive. It really stood out and made our product shine.”

• To a friend: “I always feel heard and understood when I talk to you. Your empathy means a lot to me.”

• To a family member: “Your dedication to our family is incredible. The way you always find time to support everyone is truly admirable.”

You have the ability to make your compliments way more meaningful. You can make the recipient feel genuinely appreciated and valued. You can pay them a compliment that they will hold on to for a very long time. You can provide them with the motivation to reach for the stars and achieve their full potential. YOU, yes YOU, can do all of that.

You only have to decide it’s important enough to make the effort.

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Praise and Criticism

Steve Keating 1 Comment

Truth be told I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t prefer to be praised rather than criticized. Receiving praise and recognition from anyone always makes us feel better. Even when we’re almost certain the person giving the praise is blowing smoke up our you know what, that fake praise still feels better than well needed criticism. 

Praise and recognition can be very useful for building our self-confidence and self-esteem. It reaffirms that we are on the right track and we should do more of whatever it was we’ve been doing. Plus, it just downright feels good. 

Some criticism is the so called “constructive” kind. Other criticism is meant to hurt and demean people. We can’t control the intent of other people’s criticism towards us but we have complete control over how we receive it. 

I personally try to accept all criticism as constructive criticism. I’ll listen to it and then think on it for a while. I’ll look at it from different angles, I’ll share it with a mentor to get their take on it. Then I decide what to do with it. I’ll either decide the criticism was indeed intended to harm me in some way and I’ll quickly discard it. Or, I’ll decide that even though it was perhaps intended to demotivate me, there was a kernel of truth in it and I’ll try to take whatever corrective action I can. 

When I determine the criticism was meant to be constructive I’ll thank the person.  I may even ask for their help in improving in whatever area they saw a weakness.

But here’s the thing about both praise and criticism. Never accept either one without attaching a personal expiration date to them. Neither of them are forever. Assuming that your actions of today will continue to make you successful in the future is very limited thinking. You need to continually ask yourself how you can get better. No matter how good you may have been yesterday, or how good you are today, if you’re not better tomorrow then you’re losing ground to someone who is. 

Accept the praise, enjoy it a while but don’t forget, if you’re still trying to live off of last week’s praise next week you’ll likely be getting kind of stinky to the people around you. Greatness doesn’t come from doing something well once, it comes from doing something very well, again and again.

Likewise, criticism needs a relatively short expiration date. Ponder it for a time, learn from it what you can. If there is a lesson for you in the criticism then accept it. Learn from it, act upon it and ask yourself how you can prevent yourself from slipping back into that poor performance. Then toss the criticism into the trash heap of ancient history. Never dwell on criticism.

Praise and criticism both have the place in the toolbox of leadership. Just as a leader must keep their praise and criticisms fresh, the people on the receiving end of those tools must realize that neither was intended to last forever. 

How to Lead and How Not to Lead – One more in a periodic series 

Steve Keating 1 Comment

Apparently people need to feel appreciated. But, as a person who occupies a leadership position with no intention of actually leading, you don’t have time for what people need. You pay them to do their jobs. A paycheck is all the appreciation they are going to get from you. 

As a non-leader in a leadership position you know how silly it is to recognize people for a job well done. It’s ridiculous to express appreciation to people who merely did what they are supposed to do. It’s not your job to play nursemaid to people who need to be constantly reminded of their value to the organization. 

If the paycheck they get isn’t enough recognition then that’s their problem not yours. Somebody promoted you into the leadership position you’re now in. They must agree with your thinking about silly stuff like recognition and showing appreciation. You’re on track for another promotion so keep up the crappy leadership!

Or…you could stop thinking in terms of promotions and start thinking more like a leader. 

Authentic Leaders go out of their way to observe the people they lead so they can catch them doing the RIGHT things. Then they reward them for it with verbal or even written recognition. 

Recognition provided in written form, like a short note for instance, has much more staying power than mere verbal recognition. While I encourage consistent verbal recognition the occasional hand written note has power that should not be underestimated. 

People will hold on to that note a long time. They will share it with family and friends. It is validating for them. It’s confirms their hope that they matter and that someone else realizes it too. 

Verbal recognition and appreciation is great but written recognition and notes of appreciation are even greater. It costs so little in terms of time but it means so much for the people on the receiving end. 

Being an Authentic Leader requires a great deal more effort than just occupying a leadership position. It requires that the Authentic Leader have to courage to show they care. It requires that they see the people they lead as human beings. It requires that they invest time in their people and work to help their people succeed. And it requires that they be generous with their recognition of, and appreciation for, their people. 

Their reward for that effort is engaged and committed followers. Something the “pretend leaders” who won’t make the effort to actually lead will never have. 

Some of you know that I’ve been trying out something relatively new over on Twitter. It’s called SuperFollow. That means I post some tweets that are for subscribers only. The tweets I post for subscribers are video only. I post two each weekday, mostly on leadership but also sales and living a better life in general. I’m also way more available for questions from SuperFollowers than I can be for the million plus regular Twitter followers. The investment to see these “SuperTweets” is $4.99 a month, that’s about 17 cents a day. The videos continue to grow in popularity so clearly a lot of people think they are worthwhile. 

Not only can you invest in yourself with solid video coaching, you can also make a difference in the world too. All the income from my SuperFollowers on Twitter go to help kids with Down Syndrome. 

You can find more information by clicking the Super Follow button on my Twitter profile page IN THE TWITTER APP or on a web browser. http://twitter.com/leadtoday Give it a try if you’re so inclined, and if you are, be sure to let me know how I’m doing and what topics you’d like to see me address.

The Importance of Recognition 

Steve Keating 1 Comment

All leaders understand the importance of giving their people timely and meaningful recognition. But not all leaders demonstrate that they understand that importance. Many fall into the trap called the tyranny of the urgent. They get so busy doing things that appear urgent that they allow the important things to fall into oblivion. 

They pay a steep price for that mistake. Failing to recognize deserving team members leads to higher turnover. Especially these days. Failure to recognize top talent significantly decreases their level of engagement. An organization’s most expensive employees are not the ones who are the highest paid. They are the ones who are least engaged. 

When recognition falls so does employee performance. Especially the performance of an organization’s best people. 

In a recent survey of a cross section of employees from various industries the question was asked, “What is the most important thing that your company or manager does that causes you to produce great work? Employees answered in their own words but a clear pattern emerged. 37% of respondents said that more personal recognition would encourage them to produce better work more often. That is 3 times the second place answer which was “nothing.”

The survey also showed that recognition makes employees feel that promotions are fair. It spurs innovation and drives extra effort. Recognition is also the single greatest driver of positive company culture. 

None of that comes as a surprise to an experienced leader. But even experienced leaders struggle with their priorities. The urgent things that come with managing a business take priority over the importance of leading people. 

Authentic Leaders put recognizing their people at or very near the top of their daily priority list. They block time to recognize people. Their recognition goes well beyond a simple “nice job.” They can state, with great specificity, how their employee’s effort had a positive impact on the organization. Many times that recognition will also come in the form of a hand-written note. They know that investing a few minutes to jot down their thoughts increases the significance of the recognition ten-fold. 

Being “busy” is absolutely no excuse for failing to provide consistent recognition to the people you lead. In fact, it’s when your organization is at it’s busiest that your people most need recognition. And yes, I said need. Recognition is the fuel that lights their fire of productivity. It fuels their determination to excel.

It’s really this simple…if you want your people to perform at a higher level then you’re gonna need to lead at a higher level.  Giving recognition is a key character trait of a high performing leader. So stop reading and go give a deserving member of your team some recognition RIGHT NOW.

On a different subject… Everyone can use a “nudge” towards success. I’m trying something new on Twitter. It’s called “Super Followers.” For $5 a month, that’s 17 cents a day, people can follow a part of my Twitter stream that is for subscribers only. It features short videos of me discussing leadership topics, sales tips and ideas for better overall relationships. I’m assuming there will be far fewer Super Followers than the million or so people who regularly follow me on Twitter. That will give me the opportunity to answer questions more throughly than I can on regular Twitter. Most of the answers will come in the evening cause we all have day jobs, right? Think of it as ”mentoring on demand!”

My goal with SuperFollowers is to build a better connection, one where I can help more and have a greater impact. I’m hoping it gives me a chance to mentor to a wider audience. It’s still new, we’ll see how it works. It’s a $5 dollar investment that may be the extra “push” you need to get to where you want to be. I’d be honored to be able to help get you there. 

You can find more information by clicking the Super Follow button on my Twitter profile page IN THE TWITTER APP. http://twitter.com/leadtoday Give it a try if you’re so inclined, and if you are, be sure to let me know how I’m doing and how I can be of even more help.