In today’s fast-paced workplace, achieving targets and meeting deadlines is paramount. So it’s not surprising that many overlook the significant influence that results from a simple act of acknowledgement. When we take the time to recognize, appreciate and thank, we can fuel motivation, further loyalty, nurture collaboration and create a positive workplace culture.
That’s a tremendous return on something that often takes only a few minutes. Acknowledgement is not a replacement for adequate monetary compensation. But assuming that people are paid fairly, recognition can go a long way to not only demonstrate your appreciation for your employees and coworkers, but to also keep spirits high.
When individuals receive genuine and meaningful acknowledgement for their contributions, it triggers a range of positive psychological reactions. It fosters a sense of validation and boosts self-esteem, leading to increased competence and confidence. It acts as a driving force, fueling intrinsic motivation and inspiring continued high performance, improved engagement and greater productivity. It promotes a sense of happiness, satisfaction and fulfillment, reducing stress and creating a positive work environment that supports mental and emotional health. And if all this weren’t enough, the eventual result is that employees experience a sense of loyalty to the organization, which means that good people choose to stay.
But for all this to happen, one must recognize appropriately. There is an art to acknowledgement. Done incorrectly, it can come across as disingenuous. Even worse, your good intentions may backfire. To create the greatest positive impact when you acknowledge others, take the following four factors into account.
Be specific
Be specific about the action or effort. “Thank you for staying late last night to get the report completed on time,” and “I received excellent feedback about the presentation you made to our clients yesterday” are meaningful and relevant because they are detailed.
Also, be specific about the outcome or impact. “We were able to submit the report to the auditor by the deadline this morning,” and “We have a good chance of getting this new business” are great follow-up statements to the examples above.
Be sincere
Be genuine in your praise. Others can tell when you’re faking it. Keep in mind that specificity also helps in conveying sincerity. Random praise that is not tied to something specific is likely to come across as insincere. If your acknowledgement is not genuine, it will probably do more harm than good. Better to say nothing at all.
Be timely
For acknowledgement to reap positive benefits, timeliness is important. A good rule is within 24 hours of the situation occurring, or within 24 hours of you finding out about it, whichever is sooner. If you wait any longer, you will forget. It doesn’t need to be in person, timeliness is more important than face-to-face. A text, an instant message, a voice mail or an email will all work just as well; just get it done within 24 hours.
Lean towards public
Acknowledging in private is appropriate in some situations, but there are at least two benefits to public recognition that you should take into account when making the decision about public versus private. First, public acknowledgement is known to have a positive impact on not just the performance of those who receive the accolades, but also for all members of the team who witness the commendation. Second, there is a positive ripple effect from public acknowledgement, in that team members are also more likely to recognize each other for their contributions. When your staff take the time to thank and praise their colleagues for assistance and accomplishments, it fosters a supportive and collaborative work environment, promoting trust, cohesion and a sense of camaraderie.
There are some situations in which acknowledging employees publicly can lead to negative social comparison and lesser performance among those who are not recognized. Therefore, it is important to weigh the benefits and the disadvantages in each specific situation, and adapt your approach accordingly.
So go ahead. Recognize extra effort, appreciate creativity and innovation, celebrate milestones, acknowledge collaborative efforts between your employees, and compliment your staff for investing in their professional growth. Do it often. As long you take these four factors into account, you can rest assured that you are mastering the art of acknowledgement, and you will gain the benefits that come from the power of recognition.
Merge Gupta-Sunderji is a speaker, author, mentor to senior leaders and the chief executive officer of the leadership development consultancy Turning Managers Into Leaders.