A motivator called Recognition !

William Thackeray, a famous author said " Next to excellence is the appreciation of it".For every human being appreciation is a fundamental need, weather at home or work. We all  respond to appreciation expressed through recognition of their good work because it confirms their work is valued by others. When our work is valued, the satisfaction and productivity increases , and there is motivation to maintain or improve good work.Praise and recognition are essential to a best in class workplace. Everyone wants a ‘pat on the back’ to make them feel good.

Organisation should encourage their leaders and employees to inculcate the spirit of appreciation for colleagues. In the arsenal of " Top 3 drivers of employee engagement," recognition rises to the top as a best practice for managers to show their teams that they care. It is not only restricted to Managers but also to peer to peer appreciation is equally appreciated.

Various management books point to the fact that, True leaders see recognition as something different. It’s not just a tool to motivate employees, it’s a skill you sharpen to improve your relationships and bring out the best work in the people you lead. 

 Recognition is a skill we need to develop and some ways to do it !

  Empathize with the situation and employees

Take out time to meaningfully connect with your team and understand them at a personal level will allow you to recognize what is important to them. Do you know what drives your employees? Each of them? Individually? Its guaranteed that it is different from person to person. Our work means something different to all of us. For some it’s just money, and that’s okay, but high performing individuals want to see that they are making an impact on the organization. The work itself drives the performance.

  Recognizing with empathy means sit and listen to your employees, understanding what they are working on, help them come up with solutions to their problems and helping them find ways to do things better and with more passion, THEN ensuring they feel the extra effort was “worth it.”

 Recognition Says as Much About You as It Does for Your Employees

What recognition really boils down to is that your people know you are aware of the work which is getting done, challenges they face and appreciate the work they do. Be in command of the boat, but allow then to paddle with their own style. The more you interact with your team, empathize with them and acknowledge both the good and the frustrating moments that happen, the better leader you become.

So write a hand-written note if the desire strikes you, give a shout out when you want to... But only if that's really your style. Remember, leaders are human too. Put in your personality into how you show appreciation for your team and your coworkers. Make it spontaneous and contagious !