Recognition Choices and Types
Smart leaders recognize employees for doing fine work. Recognition can be supplied in many ways but all techniques fall into one of two categories, either formal or informal.
Formal recognition involves a tangible reward and public sharing of news.
Informal recognition strategies can be spontaneous or planned, delivered in private or public, and usually feature a verbal kudo in front of others. Informal recognition does not involve a physical reward.
Recognition is important to the psyche of all of us, so good leaders make the consistent use of a recognition strategy as part of their leadership brand. All of us want to feel valued and recognition is a delivery vehicle to do so.
Listed below are more than a dozen effective recognition techniques.
Formal recognition:
- Additional job responsibility. The number one reason good talent leaves is that he or she is not growing. Added responsibility – assuming it is substantive and meaty and not busywork – fills the bill.
- Access to new learning/training opportunities. People who relentlessly learn will stay engaged and do better work. One of the big choices companies face these days is who to invest in. Smart ones invest in engaged performers. More professional development is an excellent way of solidifying the worker/company bond.
- A personalized gift (plaque or company merchandise). Material things tangibly demonstrate achievement. Wallhangers have tremendous value to many. Plaques are often displayed forever.
- Team celebration. Most find it rejuvenating to go have fun on company money.
- Granted more flexibility/autonomy. Want a longer leash? Let them earn it. Workers will pursue both of these goals, added job flexibility and more freedom to figure out the best way to do their work. Want to watch a talented worker take flight? Rescue him or her from a hovering micromanager and free them to do inspired work. Delegate, empower, and hold accountable. A tangible, earned reward like this can have dramatically positive impact on someone’s career.
- Granted time off. People lead busy lives. Everyone loves a bonus day.
- A spontaneous cash or gift card bonus. “Found money,” whether it’s real or plastic, is always crowd pleasing. When the reward is bestowed commensurate with the task, cash and gift cards are always appreciated.
- A promotion. I have always been a staunch believer in giving hard-working people the right to fail. What I mean by that is to kick them upstairs to a bigger job and help them grow into it. Let them prove whether or not they can do it. I am a “promotivator” and do not like suppressive leadership styles. Managers who hold people back for selfish reasons operate under a false assumption, which is that keeping strong people in their jobs ensures the manager his or her team will produce continually good results. This is a fallacy because talent has options and suppressed talent will leave. The best way to sustain a winning culture is to develop an escalator of promotable talent. Do that, and everyone with ambition will want to be on your team. The sum total of continual professional growth of all will always surpass the loss of any one individual.
- A pay increase. The number one Worry Circle issue workers carry around these days is money. We are coming off a long, flat income cycle since companies did not need to pay more to attract or retain talent. Companies cut cost and stockpiled cash. As the market continues its gradual expansion, more money is available to compensate those who earn it.
Informal recognition vehicles:
- Praise from senior leadership, both oral and written. Hearing from higher levels, whether via a note or phone call, always leaves a great impression. Both are superior to e-mail, which has but temporary impact.
- Praise from direct manager, both oral and written. Appeasing the boss is always good. Proof is even better.
- Peer recognition at team meetings. I have always liked leaders who build a “good news kudo review” into their team meetings. Jobs can be difficult and the ones who know that best are those tasked with doing it. Peer recognition is a real morale booster.
- Granted more flexibility/autonomy. Room to think and freedom to act can be very inspiring to an ambitious, self-motivated performer.
There are five key areas every high performance culture must protect: hiring, onboarding, talent development, reward & recognition, and strategic retention. Individually and collectively, all five are important.
Reward and recognition help nourish and fertilize positive, motivated, self-sustaining cultures that attract like-minded talents. Every smart leader should make appropriate recognition – formal and informal – a planned element of his or her personal brand.