Silent gratitude isn’t much use to anyone. — G.B. Stern
Appreciation is a powerful motivator. In our work with clients, we hear a lot of talk about the importance of being recognized for a job well-done. It doesn’t have to be a big, expensive production; something as simple as “Well done!” or a pat on the back — literal or figurative — from a leader can energize a front line employee.
Yet, the reason we hear about the important of being recognized is not usually because it is happening. It’s because there is a vacuum of praise.
What happens when people aren’t recognized for their accomplishments? Some leave. Others stay and do the best they can. Others stay and do as little as possible.
But what happens when people are recognized for things they truly do well? They feel better. But does that really matter? Researchers such as Barbara Fredrickson suggest that it does. Her research suggests that “positive emotions” are influential in improving resilience, expanding our thinking and giving us “new lines of thought or action.”
In order to focus more on appreciating and recognizing our employees more, we must first answer some fundamental questions:
- Why? Every business change should start with this question because it is important that your senior leaders are aligned any time you believe a certain behavior — in this case “appreciation” — is important. Why show your appreciation? We’ve just outlined a few of the reasons. We suspect you already know the reasons. But if you need some quantitative research support, here’s some. A McKinsey study showed that the following three incentives were effective nonfinancial motivators:
- Praise and commendation from immediate manager
- Attention from leaders
- Opportunities to lead projects or task forces
These behaviors from leaders are said to be “inspiring” and that they help employees see themselves as “part of the company’s future.”
- Who should be recognized? More specifically, what behavior and results are important in reinforcing? This can take some time to do well, but it needs to be a clearly defined aspect of your organization’s identity. If it’s not, you’ll end up sending mixed messages by rewarding conflicting behaviors. Or worse yet, you’ll show that you appreciate behavior that is actually counterproductive.
- What should you do to demonstrate your appreciation? Ultimately, the answer to that question is unique to the behavior and the individual. And this will also depend on the size or your organization. You can keep it unique and individualized easier in a smaller company. In a large company, you will have a greater degree of uniformity in order to keep the integrity of the reinforcement. Whenever possible it helps to ask what is most meaningful to your employees.
- When should this acknowledgement happen? For formal, programmatic demonstrations of appreciation, it makes sense to do them at regular intervals. For less formal “pats on the back,” do them whenever they happen. Don’t wait for a formal occasion to show appreciation for someone handling a difficult customer well. Just do it! It’s also been shown that people prefer gifts that are unexpected. So don’t be afraid to be spontaneous.
As leaders, do we want employees who are less productive, have more safety incidents, deliver less than stellar customer service and do this all in organizations that are likely to lose the best and brightest? Or do we prefer to have employees who are energized to do their best for us and our customers by authentic appreciation, expressed in the moment, that is uniquely designed to demonstrate how much we value their contribution to our organization? I know my answer. What is yours?
