Recognition: the most powerful— & simple—leadership skill

Hey, Leader —

If you’ve been following me—or The Perk—for any amount of time, you know how important recognition is to me & to our company.?

In fact, when we talk with clients about our CLEAR Leadership Model—literally the six key ingredients that are needed for world-class leadership—“Recognition” is that very last letter.

When we say “recognition,” what do we mean, exactly? At The Perk, we define employee recognition as?the act of showing appreciation & acknowledgement?to employees for?their contributions?to the business that link to the?company’s purpose, mission, & values.?

Why am I “on one” about recognition? Because I think it’s?the?most powerful & simple leadership action you can take. It’s also the most overlooked.

From my perspective, there are three reasons why we don’t immediately think of recognition, appreciation, & gratitude when it comes to building high-trust, high-performing teams:

• We simply don’t think about it. And this isn’t anyone’s fault—it’s the breakneck speed of work. Often, we’re running a million miles an hour, & even when something gets done—& done well— we’re already on to the next thing.
• The idea of recognition might make?us?uncomfortable, so we don’t want to do the same thing to our employees & teams.?
• Or, we worry about recognizing people?too?much.

If one of these reasons sounds familiar, you’re not alone. But I do want to debunk a few of these reasons with some Leah tough love:

• Recognition is a fundamental human need. It doesn’t matter who we are—we need to feel acknowledged, that our work is valued, & that those feelings connect to something larger than ourselves.
• There’s more than one way to recognize someone, & when people are uncomfortable with recognition, I like to work with them to find their authentic approach or “personal brand” of recognition.?
• And, there are very few instances in which you can recognize someone too much. I mean, it might get a little weird if you shower an employee with positive feedback every five minutes, but on the other hand…who am I to judge?

When we recognize our employees, we show them that their hard work & dedication are highly valued. We encourage the behaviors, attitudes, & results we want to see. And that’s how an extraordinary culture is built.?

“Okay, Leah,” you’re thinking. “Recognition makes us all feel good. But what’s the business impact?”

Oh, Leader. Did you REALLY think I wasn’t going to come in hot with some proof points?

Here are just a few data points about the effect of recognition from a?great report co-created by Gallup and Workhuman:?

• 56% of employees are less likely to look for new job opportunities when they’re being recognized consistently. Raise your hand if you love your people & would like them to NOT look for other jobs.
• Employees who are recognized on the regular are 5X more likely to feel connected to your culture, & 4X more likely to recommend your organization to friends & family (hello, recruitment efforts!).?

There’s so much that I want to say about recognition that it would take up several of these monthly email notes. Instead, we’ve packed this newsletter with a ton of great resources, including an?ENTIRE Recognition Guide?where we’ve given our seven top-notch tips for building recognition into your everyday leadership practice. Take a look at those goodies below.?

And, if you’re pressed for time, we’ve got a new installment to the newsletter — our #PerkProTip — about recognition that you can implement TODAY. More on that below, too.?

It’s November, and that means the whole month has that “attitude of gratitude” feel. So, there’s no better time to lean into this whole recognition thing & start practicing it with your team and colleagues—as long as you make the commitment to this practice all year round.?

Let me know if you use any of the resources below—I’d love to hear how they’re working for you! (And, if you do want a great way to recognize one of your employees, take a look at the details for our monthly?Perk Up Someone’s Day?box!)

#PerkProTip: The FBI Model of Recognition

The most important part of recognition is personalization. Think about a time you were recognized for your work. Was it more impactful to hear, “You’re amazing!” or “You’re amazing because you ask such great questions that always get me thinking of how I can make our client experience even better."

If you answered the latter, that makes sense. Context is everything when it comes to showing recognition. Why are you being thanked? What did you do that was so incredible? Going a level deeper not only reinforces the behaviors you’d like to see, but it just…feels more sincere. It feels like you’re actually being seen & valued, rather than someone just going through the motions & checking the box.

And we know YOU want to do more than just go through the motions. That said, behold: The FBI Model of Recognition.?

FBI stands for “Feelings, Behaviors, and Impact.”?The next time you want to recognize someone, consider this approach:

• Feelings:?Express how this person's behavior made you feel.
• Behavior:?Describe the specific behavior that caused the feeling.?
• Impact:?Explain how the behavior affected you or the situation at hand, & what the impact will be if the behavior continues.

For example, here’s something I said to Steph recently:?“One thing you do that I really appreciate is that you don’t just agree with my ideas right away. You ask really good questions & show me perspectives that I hadn’t seen before. It makes me feel seen and heard, because it’s evident that you’re listening to me based on the questions you ask. Ultimately, this makes my ideas—& our team—even better. I know you won’t just jump on board with things, but will help make the idea as good as it can possibly be!”?

If you do one new thing this week, use the FBI model to recognize someone on your team—& pay attention to how that person responds!

What's The Perk saying?

As promised, we’ve packed this newsletter with a bunch of great resources that are all focused on how to do this whole "recognition" thing. Check them out below!

Recognize & Thrive: How Prioritizing Recognition Drives Engagement & Success in the Workplace (57-minute listen)

7 Ways to Be a Kind Leader (4-minute read)

Optimize Your Gift Giving (4-minute read)

What's our community saying?

We’re always reading and listening to the latest news and insights on culture, organizational development, and leadership. This month, we’ve got three resources on two different aspects of recognition—the neuroscience behind why it’s so powerful in the workplace & how it impacts all facets of your company culture.

How Employee Recognition Impacts Retention, Culture & Employee Engagement (HR Unplugged, 46-minute listen)

Why Employees Need Both Recognition & Appreciation (Harvard Business Review, 4-minute read)

The Neuroscience of Recognition (The Happiness Index, 5-minute read)

Want more? Yeah you do!?

Check out our live webinars, free programs, & other events coming up in the next month!

Problem Solving 101

December 14th | Virtual

Join us for an enlightening session with seasoned professional problem solver and lean expert, Sarah Tilkens! In this engaging session, we will demystify the problem-solving process, making it accessible and highly applicable to your business needs. You can trust that, by the time you walk away, you'll be excited to view your problems through a new lens, equipped with the knowledge and tools to transform challenges into opportunities for growth and success. Register for December's Culture Community here!

Perk Up Someone's Day!

Hey,?Leader: Did you know recognizing others demonstrates that their efforts & hard work are valued? By recognizing (& rewarding) accomplishments, we reinforce the behaviors and outcomes we want to encourage. Start your nomination for our "Perk Up Someone's Day Box" here!