Balancing Appreciation and Accountability: Lessons in Effective Team Management

In my middle years as a Branch Manager, I encountered experiences that deeply shaped my management style and understanding of team dynamics.

At that time, I had developed a habit of recognizing and appreciating my team’s efforts, either by sending emails or through messages. I believed this simple act of acknowledgment could uplift morale and encourage stronger performance. However, I soon received a directive from leadership instructing me to refrain from written appreciation. In this organization, formal recognition was reserved exclusively for an annual announcement, given solely by the director. I quickly realized that appreciation practices could vary greatly between organizations and that understanding company culture is crucial for effective leadership.

Later, as I advanced to a Senior Manager role, I found myself managing a former colleague who now reported to me. Initially, we faced some tension, but I soon understood that in a field like ours—where expertise levels are often comparable—imposing a hierarchical mindset was counterproductive. I resolved to foster a culture of respect and appreciation, focusing on teamwork rather than asserting authority.

However, I soon realized that my appreciation wasn’t yielding the desired results. When I reviewed my team’s KPIs, I noticed performance declines among some of the very people I’d been publicly praising. This discrepancy became an issue, particularly when I had to account for the gap between my praise and their outcomes. One of my team members, whom I had praised often, pointed out that he would have appreciated feedback on his performance slipping so he could address it earlier. This feedback struck a chord. I had overlooked the importance of real-time, constructive feedback—without which my appreciation felt unbalanced and, at times, premature.

During this period, a senior leader observed one of my conversations with my team member and shared valuable advice: “When you appreciate someone, always couple it with future expectations. And if performance wanes, address it promptly. People need timely feedback to stay aligned and motivated.” This insight was a breakthrough. I realized that effective appreciation needs to be forward-looking, incorporating both recognition of past achievements and clarity on what’s expected next.

These experiences taught me three essential principles for team management:

1. Respect Organizational Norms: Recognizing and adapting to the company's culture around appreciation and feedback creates alignment with organizational values.
2. Timely Feedback: Positive reinforcement should be balanced with constructive feedback. It’s not enough to simply praise; providing timely input helps keep performance on track.
3. Setting Future Expectations: Each instance of recognition should also communicate the next goals or standards to strive toward, which helps sustain high performance.

Since then, these principles have become the backbone of my management approach. I learned that people are typically motivated and ready to perform when they have regular feedback, clear goals, and a sense of purpose. Embracing this balanced approach enabled me to guide my team more effectively, contributing to both individual growth and collective success within the organization.

By Praveen Sharma & Team

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