What Makes Leaders Feel Recognized And Appreciated At Work? And What Does Not.

Why did I choose to talk about recognition?

Company policies, leadership efforts and communication with employees are all focused on this topic.

Because despite all these efforts, it's still a problem and people are left in the frustrating situation of feeling unappreciated at work. I hear this from my clients all the time.

Leaders typically identify Three Main Areas where they seek recognition and appreciation of their value to the organisation:

• Timely promotion aka career advancement.
• Getting the same pay as colleagues with similar responsibilities.
• Getting credit for initiatives and projects when they go above and beyond.

Let's take a closer look at these three pain points....

???????????? ??????????????????????: Promotion has become a game of strategy with unwritten rules because of the flat organisational structure that many companies have adopted years ago. There is no doubt about the intention to remove unnecessary layers in the organisation to make the communication and decision-making process more efficient. It works.

The downside for many experienced, knowledgeable and ambitious professionals who have been living in this new reality for several years is that they are stuck in the promotion pipeline and in their position.

Even if they excel and complete Leadership Programmes to move to the next level, the opportunities are limited and the bar high.

Discussions with the line manager often do not provide more clarity on how to proceed, and people are left with the feeling that the promotion decision is arbitrary, political and based on criteria they do not understand.

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Interestingly, poor recognition is also cited by managers when it comes to having their efforts recognised. They feel overlooked by their own managers when it comes to looking after their direct reports and giving them fair and timely recognition. It hurts, even if they have well-developed EI…

Differences in pay for the same work is another frequently cited problem. It's frustrating to have the feeling that you're underpaid in comparison to your peers.

Although salary information is confidential, people will find out somehow. In addition to the negative impact on self-esteem and demotivation (we are human...), this factor creates tension between colleagues and reduces cooperation.

????????????????????: People love to feel visible…

Despite the fact that we do many things in life according to the 'call of the heart', participating in social projects and volunteering, when it comes to work, people want to share their achievements and how proud they are of the impact of their work with colleagues and management, especially when they go above and beyond.

If your efforts are perceived as 'silent running', or if someone else takes credit for your sleepless nights, anger and frustration (again...) will ensue.

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• Confess your feelings and don't feel ashamed or guilty about them. The first step to solving a problem is to acknowledge it.
• Analyze the root cause. This is where you may need the perspective of a third party, and your mentor or coach may be able to help you.
• Don't dwell on the negative events and miss the positive ones. You need them to keep your energy high for change.
• Be the first to advocate for yourself, and mention your contribution when appropriate.
• Build relationships. Soft skills are just as important to your career as your technical experience, so don't overlook their importance.

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