What do you do if your team members' contributions go unrecognized?

Sharing an open recognition of a persons worth and contributions are signs of strong leadership, high awareness, good empathy and individual confidence. If someone is contributing purposefully one can thank them personally but, if this is really valued then a public acknowledgement is even more meaningful . It is then appreciated by the recipient but also encourages others who can see that their contributions could also be openly recognised.

If your team members' contributions are going unrecognized, it's essential to address the situation constructively. Here's a step-by-step approach you can take: 1. Observe and Gather Information 2. Communicate Directly 3. Highlight the Impact 4. Propose Solutions 5. Advocate for Your Team 6. Lead by Example 7. Monitor Progress Remember that addressing issues of recognition requires patience, persistence, and a commitment to fostering a positive work environment where everyone feels valued and appreciated.

Definitely give recognition where it is due and also share the responsibility if things don’t go to plan. Remember that different people like to be thanked in different ways. Public recognition is like marmite some love others hate! Know who you are thanking and try to adapt how you do it to great the real benefit of recognising and motivating.

I always provide public recognition, even for the smallest contributions. Public acknowledgment boosts morale, commitment, and, most importantly, the desire to keep contributing and adding value.

Thank you goes a long way. By showing appreciation and gratitude either in a one-on-one or group meeting, demonstrates your compassion as a leader and humility. There is nothing more powerful than telling somebody that they matter, that what they have gifted is meaningful.

When a contribution is of significant scale, I would recommend nominating the person to employee/contributor of the month/quarter/year. Write a crisp summary of the challenge, the person's contribution and its impact, and send it e.g. to their manager or manager's manager. Having such awards to celebrate great performance tends to create enthusiasm, and a healthy & positive working environment. People feel seen and recognized. A side effect is often that people wants to go the extra mile/make that extra effort. When setting up such awards its a good idea to first think deeply about what kind of efforts you would like to encourage, in order to steer the direction. E.g. celebrating extraordinary efforts towards customer service.

Engaging leadership is a fantastic way to positively influence the culture of the team. If you feel that the issue is an organisational wide challenge, you may need to find yourself some allies for additional support in driving systemic change.

Never assume that all your contributions are being noticed. Make a short, simple and easy format in e.g. word/excel and continuously document all your noteworthy contributions (anything you feel sad about someone not noticing) in a crisp and to-the-point manner. By keeping the format simple, you increase the chances of you actually keeping it updated. Ensure to include why what you did matter and it's impact. As far as it is possible, try to quality the impact. How many users affected, how costs saved, how much revenue generated, how did it shorten cycle time or delivery time, etc. This will make it easier for your manager and possibly their manager to understand the value of your work. Agree on a suitable cadence for sharing it.

Empowering team members to advocate for their own achievements is crucial. Encouraging self-advocacy not only ensures recognition but also fosters a culture of ownership and confidence. Documenting successes and actively sharing them in meetings or discussions can significantly impact how contributions are valued. It’s about creating an environment where every voice matters and every effort is acknowledged. This approach can transform the dynamics of recognition within teams, promoting a more inclusive and appreciative workplace.

Performance Management/Appraisal sessions can be seen as “a waste of time” or can be a constructive opportunity for people to revisit their objectives, reassess their achievements and celebrate additional successes. One can go into the meeting with no thoughts or go in having considered the years events, the goals, the outcomes and the barriers as well as the unexpected bonus results . “Fail to prepare then prepare to fail” comes to mind. I have always gone into appraisals with a list of my objectives and outcomes, my additional achievements, my next steps and what I have learned. Sometimes, just writing all these down gives a sense of achievement and focus. Sharing them allows for discussion, acknowledgement and appreciation.

While I'm all for self advocacy, I believe that this one is based on a case by case scenario. You may find some individuals are more introverted and prefer not to self-advocate. So pushing them to self advocate may be very uncomfortable for them. One must first create an environment where everybody feels they can speak confidently about their contributions and celebrate their efforts with respect.

Nothing says you have to wait for mgmt personnel or the company to recognize anyone. You can choose to show them love by telling them how much they're hard work and efforts are appreciated. Sometimes it can be more meaningful when it comes from a teammate(s) because it strengthens the bond and esprit de corps of the entire team. We have to lose the idea that we have to wait for higher-ups to celebrate one another. Take the initiative.

Creating a culture of recognition is definitely easier said than done. Often employees feel like this is a leadership tick and flick exercise, with little authenticity. Peer-to-peer recognition works well for maintaining high team engagement. At the organisational level, top down recognition is a key driver. Remember, it's important for you to identify cultural sensitivities when creating systems and platforms for recognition.

Creating a transparent culture of individual celebration, appreciation and acknowledgement is key to setting the standards for a focussed, committed team who feel valued. This can be tackled in many ways:- team members can nominate each other; managers can identify particular examples of “above and beyond”, individuals could be encouraged to share their best achievements/things of which they are most proud/objectives achieved etc. it is all about creating acts of positivity, gratitude, acknowledgement and pride.

Whilst celebrating people’s achievements is of vital importance, it is also imperative that such acknowledgement is well deserved and that token praise is not carried out. I was once thanked for being vital to the organisation, that without me they would not thrive, that my additional input was appreciated and highly valued…… and then…. I heard exactly the same being said to each member of the team! I was gutted! It made me feel unappreciated, de-valued and disrespected. It was a salutary lesson! Never, ever give false praise or make someone feel worse than from giving no praise at all!

It’s always said and felt that little things matter. So do our efforts towards it!! As a leader, I always ensure that I pay attention to the atomic details of every member’s contribution and take measures to acknowledge it publicly. If you see the efforts going unrecognised, try the below options that I tried in my team at work- 1. Acknowledge the member’s work and efforts in some arranged leadership meet. 2. Encourage the member to be vocal about his/her work and democratise it to other teams and members. 3. Create a culture of appreciation within the team, where minutest of efforts towards a major milestone is witnessed and known by everyone to ensure the flow of confidence and motivation across.

The more we practice being humble, the more we can practice by not being the most important person, and in that it is easy to put a spot light on others that are more deserving a pat on the back, or showing they did a good job. Find opportunities to build them up for doing a good job, encourage them in spite of what they are being put through. Tell or talk to others about how well those team members did and are doing to keep the team alive and to perform at a high level. Be polite and always give polite gestures thanking them when they don’t hear it from others.