How can you show appreciation and recognition to build trust with your team?

Five key ways to show recognition and appreciation to build trust with your team: 1. Specific Feedback: Provide specific and meaningful feedback on achievements, both publicly and privately. 2. Celebrate Milestones: Recognize and celebrate individual and team milestones regularly. 3. Invest in Growth: Support your team's growth through training and development opportunities. 4. Empower and Listen: Empower your team with responsibility and actively listen to their input and concerns. 5. Lead by Example: Demonstrate appreciation and recognition in your own actions and interactions with the team.

It matters to recognize people the way they prefer to be recognized. Whether through, verbal praises, financial incentive, time-off, team or individual awards, explicit path to promotion or other explicit and specific methods. Recognition is not a one Size fit all practice

Remember that a Team is made up of individuals with likes & dislikes, strengths & opportunities. Give the Team members support, encouragement & responsibility with their individuality in mind. It wouldn’t be a great idea for the Team to play Messi in goal. Make the Team wholly responsible for results & wholly reward & recognize them.

A suggestion which came from one of my employees was to have a white board in the office, upon which we would write all the positive customer feedback we'd received that week. If it was a slow week, I would actively call customers to invite comments. The white board was always full - and my employees loved it!

One approach that has worked well for me is to express my appreciation and empathy by saying "I appreciate you" and outline why emphasizing open communication. I try to offer specific feedback about growth and development opportunities, such as training or mentoring, in areas of interest. Following up on conversations with colleagues helps build stronger relationships and emphasizes my genuine interest in their work and career development. Lastly, recognizing accomplishments, whether it's through a simple thank you or acknowledging achievements in team meetings, can make a big difference in making people feel seen, heard, valued and recognized.

Having a employee of the month/year is a great way to make people feel appreciated! Make sure you set clear parameters for its recognition, otherwise it may have the opposite effect!

Be specific, sincere, timely, and consistent in your recognition. Mention what they did, how they did it, and why it mattered. Use various methods like verbal feedback, notes, shout-outs, rewards, and celebrations, tailoring them to individual preferences. Don't forget to celebrate both individual and team successes, fostering solidarity. Encourage team members to recognize each other, creating a sense of belonging and trust. These practices build a motivated and engaged team, enhancing the overall work environment.

As a Chef, I find that connecting with team members through one to one chats and informal conversations, then giving genuine feedback on their performance works much more effectively than employee of the month, not to say that it isn't effective, always good to have milestones and something to work towards. Praise Little and often and say it from the heart.

Recognizing and appreciating my team is a top priority. During monthly team meetings, we highlight individual accomplishments, reinforcing that every contribution counts. Instead of just verbal praise, I also pen personalized thank-you notes, giving tangible evidence (which is KEY!) of my gratitude. But it's not just about praising; it's about actively listening, ensuring everyone knows their opinions are valued. Additionally, I invest in their professional growth, offering training and courses to bolster their skills. We also take time to celebrate birthdays, work anniversaries, and personal milestones. When you value the person behind the role, they feel seen and deliver their best.

A while back, I implemented a "monthly newsletter" approach, where our team would compile all the high impact achievements of the month, and write a short narrative on each of those. This will go into the newsletter, and will then be published to a wide audience including all our stakeholder teams, and to the org leaders. We ensured people's names were tagged as "owners" to each of the achievements. This helped not only towards appreciating the team, but also to ensure their work is recognized by much wider audience.

To measure the impact of your recognition on trust and performance, consider indicators like team feedback, engagement levels, and retention. Use surveys, interviews, or focus groups to gather feedback on how team members perceive your efforts. Observe changes in their collaboration, enthusiasm, and productivity. Track retention rates to gauge loyalty and satisfaction. These metrics provide insights into the effectiveness of your recognition in building trust and enhancing team performance

One of the most meaningful ways to measure for any leader to measure her impact is the 360 review, where feedback is invited from her boss, peers, and directs. These reviews should be administered by someone neutral, who is willing to protect confidentiality of those submitting the feedback. It doesn't have to be complicated, just a couple of questions to take a quick "pulse" of the team's engagement will suffice. It requires vulnerability and self-reflection from the leader. It can be one of the best tools to build trust and commitment between the leader and her team!

When I read comments here, some people seem to be very general, team feedback, praise etc., but we keep forgetting one of the main aspects of human nature, each human is different and his appreciation and recognition measures are different. A leader must apply multiple tools to make sure people feel appreciated and recognized not just use one which fits majority. I still see companies issue recognition awards, but this is too general, some people just want more money, some just a tap on the shoulder, and these little steps would make them 10 times more appreciated than receiving a recognition award.

To measure the impact of your recognition efforts, start with quick feedback loops like surveys or Slack polls. Engagement is another key indicator—look at participation in team projects and meetings. High levels of engagement often signal a happy, recognized team. Finally, track retention rates. Long tenures usually indicate a culture where people feel valued and stay longer. Use these metrics to tune your appreciation strategy.

**Promoting Peer-to-Peer Recognition:** Encouraging team members to recognize each other's efforts can foster a strong sense of camaraderie and trust. It can also ensure that appreciation is not just a top-down approach but permeates throughout the team.

Team motivation is the heartbeat of a successful and productive group. It's the invisible force that propels individuals to work collaboratively towards a common goal. Effective team motivation goes beyond monetary incentives; it taps into the intrinsic desires and passions of team members. A motivated team is characterized by shared enthusiasm, unwavering commitment, and a collective drive to overcome challenges. It thrives on recognition, clear communication, and opportunities for personal and professional growth. Team leaders play a pivotal role in nurturing motivation by setting a positive example, fostering a supportive environment, and aligning individual goals with the team's mission.

let me tell you about my recent exprience as the content manager of a company im working in these days: here our manager doesn't know anything about the benefits of appreciation. we barely hear a simple thank you come out of his mouth. The outcome? nobody puts their 100% in this company. people are always tired of work and they despise this 8 hours of their everyday life.

In my experience, our weekly team meetings included a segment where team members openly praised their colleagues for recent accomplishments. This wasn't just a fleeting "pat on the back" but a dedicated time for genuine appreciation. We found that the practice magnified trust and built richer relationships within the team. It was like shining a spotlight on the often unnoticed deeds that glue a team together. Everyone, from junior members to senior leaders, was on the receiving end at some point. Publicly acknowledging the value each person brought to the table not only boosted individual spirits but also fortified our collective sense of purpose.

**Personalizing Recognition:** Not everyone appreciates recognition in the same way. Some may prefer public recognition, while others may favor private acknowledgment. Understanding your team members' preferences and personalizing your approach can show them that you truly value their individuality.

Looking back over the past few years ... working life has been and continues to be demanding, highly volatile and challenging almost every day. Following the motto "When the going gets tough, the tough get going!", it is important that leaders create a stable environment for their team, especially in uncertain times. Leadership is about inspiring and guiding a team to success. You are successful when your team succeeds. Therefore, leadership requires clear communication, a strong mission, empathy, accountability, and a growth mindset. By creating an environment driven by these factors, a team can thrive and achieve success.