What do you do if your team's creative contributions go unrecognized by leaders?

Here are three tips to support you Tip 1: Courageous Communication: Don't be afraid to highlight the problem and communicate your intention clearly. Start by working out why your previous attempts to highlight contributions have been unsuccessful. Take into consideration your messaging, sphere of influence, timing etc. Tip 2: Get buy-in from your leadership team Explore with them, benefits of recognising team contributions e.g. morale building, increased productivity etc and provide evidence. Tip 3: Identify a mechanism Introduce a process for celebrating success across the organisation e.g. 15 minutes at the start of each team meeting to highlight each staff member's achievements or an "praise a colleague" weekly reward system.

With any project you need to build your support ecosystem by building awareness and rallying allies. With many projects I was privileged to work on, having the right project sponsors was among critical success factors. You and your team getting most value in the forest with nobody out there to appreciate your results can be quite demotivating. Yes, you can limit the damage by getting the team excited about creating the value regardless, but we all need some purpose and recognition by the outsiders too. Authors need satisfied readers, organizations need happy clients. You need to make an effort to build that awareness.

Examine the processes. First, consider whether the processes in place are stifling creativity. Sometimes rigid rules and procedures hinder innovative thinking. Encourage an environment where team members feel free to express unconventional ideas without bureaucratic constraints.

One thing that most people don’t know is that the lack of reward—whether monetary, acknowledgment, or other appreciation forms—is a trigger of burnout over time. In my coaching practice, we create awareness around this by doing a “recognition audit” with teams to discover which forms of acknowledgment people most value. From the audit, we create a tailored recognition plan that resonates with team members. You may be surprised to find the number of folks who value public acknowledgment, opportunities for growth, or personal feedback over financial incentives. This is not to say that these things replace fair financial compensation. But individualized recognition can impact risk of burnout and team cohesion and morale.

Continuing on from what other folks have said, sometimes you have to be the thorn in someone's side, constantly reminding them of the work that your team has completed or accomplished. For example, when I was an in-school suspension teacher in a middle school, no one really expected our kids to achieve much during their time in my classroom. However, I wasn't going to let others' expectations dictate my students' learning and development goals , and I therefore started providing daily and weekly updates on what they students had learned, created and accomplished, using various forms of communication (email, photos, word of mouth). If you want your team's efforts to be recognized, highlights the wins and the progress as much as possible.

Yes, do not assume your and the higher ups' goals are aligned. Engage in dialog to make sure. Check from time to time whether anything changed. Be proactive in assuring the support and becoming the part of the solution when communicating with them. If that side of the project is not neglected, you significantly increase the chances of success being recognized.

In my journey, I've found that clear communication and strategic visibility are key to ensuring a team's creative efforts are acknowledged. It's vital to document and share successes widely, using platforms where they'll get noticed by the right people. Celebrating small wins in team meetings or via internal newsletters not only boosts morale but also puts achievements directly in the spotlight. Personally, implementing a 'highlight reel' at the end of projects to showcase our journey and impact has markedly improved recognition from leadership. This method is great for building a culture of appreciation and drives home the value of every team member's contribution.

I still recall an astonishing discovery I made in the early days that the value of my team's work was not instantly recognized. It should have been obvious and surely noticeable by anyone, right? Wrong. Just because the value is there, it will not reach the audience the same way you will not expect a good movie to become an instant hit just because it "deserves recognition". It takes effort, promotion, word-of-mouth, etc. You may be the one in the position to promote that value and make awareness happen. Ideally, you find allies soon enough.

Führungskr?fte k?nnen eine nachhaltige Anerkennungskultur schaffen, indem sie regelm?ssig die Leistungen aller Teammitglieder hervorheben. Ein Reflexionsimpuls für Führungskr?fte k?nnte sein: "Wie kann ich heute die Arbeit eines Teammitglieds in einer Weise anerkennen, die seine/ihre einzigartigen Beitr?ge und St?rken widerspiegelt?"

In my experience, empowering team members to be their own advocates is crucial. I encourage individuals to present their work in meetings, giving them a platform to highlight their creativity and hard work directly to leadership. This approach not only boosts their confidence but also ensures their contributions are visible and appreciated. This also creates a culture where peers celebrate each other's achievements can significantly amplify their recognition. I've found that when team members champion each other's ideas and successes, it creates a ripple effect, drawing the attention of higher-ups and promoting a more inclusive and acknowledging environment.

You need to be your own advocate! You do not need recognition from anyone to be proud of the work that you and your team put in. Is it nice to get that recognition? Of course it is! Are you allowed to ask for it? Of course you are! You need to know the value of the work that you put it. Encourage your teammates to share their appreciation and gratitude with one another, and make sure to encourage them to be proud of themselves. It's great to have an advocate or two outside of the team, but the most important advocate you can have is yourself!

Visibility is something that we tend to forget or put in a second position. Creating opportunities for the team members to be known and noticed not only by the leaders but also by their peers is important. The more people know of your team members, the better they can be advocating for them in front of leaders. Direct relationships with leaders are a must, but one is more respected also when others speak for him/her and about him/her. Visibility can therefore be towards a wider and different group that also has access to leaders.

Individuelle und kollektive Reflexion über erreichte Erfolge kann ein m?chtiges Werkzeug für die Selbstmotivation sein. Eine Anregung k?nnte sein, ein monatliches Meeting einzuführen, in dem das Team seine Erfolge reflektiert und feiert, unabh?ngig von externer Anerkennung.

I would discourage anyone from doing a job for glory. Chasing praise is a waste of energy. Instead, focus on being great at what you do, especially for those you truly serve (subordinates, or new employees). Buy yourself flowers (and have them delivered), order a cake, setup a potluck with your work homies, buy a trophy. Celebrate yourself whenever you need to.

Don't lose heart. Keep working. Take them to fruition. Once the business impact is visible everyone will start noticing it

1. Leaders should foster healthy conflict and debate. Instead of micromanaging, empower team members to explore and take risks. Encourage them to challenge norms and question assumptions. This can lead to unexpected creative insights1. 2. Celebrate wins together. Prioritize celebrating team wins as a group. Recognition is essential for motivation and morale. Encourage leaders to be creative in celebrating achievements. Utilize technology and consider various ways to acknowledge contributions. 3. Consider shared leadership. When team members feel empowered and have a say in decision-making, it can enhance creativity. Psychological safety, motivation, and collaboration play a role in fostering innovative thinking.

Es ist wichtig zu erkennen, dass Anerkennung zwar wertvoll ist, Teams aber auch ohne st?ndige externe Best?tigung erfolgreich sein k?nnen. Ein handlungsorientierter Vorschlag w?re die Entwicklung eines internen Belohnungssystems, das Kreativit?t und Innovation unabh?ngig von der Anerkennung durch Führungskr?fte f?rdert.