Saying thank you is one of the first phrases we teach our toddlers to say to others. It’s expresses one’s gratitude and feelings of appreciation towards another, and I might add, these two words do have some glorious power to them.
Do you recall a time when you went out of your way to help a friend, family member, co-worker or a stranger only for them to walk away saying nothing, how did you feel?
Now recall a time when you spend your time or money lending a hand to a stranger, friend, family member or co-worker who could not help but kept thanking you over and over, how did you feel?
As humans, it’s in our nature to help each other and serve others because when we do, a feel good chemical (endorphins) is released in our nervous system. We cannot help to feel good and thus crave the same chemical again and again. Moreover, this kind of behavior inspires others to be kind to others.
Can you imagine what the world would be like if all people were intentional at exercising kindness and goodwill?
According to Gallup survey, “lack of recognition is one of the key drivers why some employee who do not feel recognized at work are twice as likely to consider quitting their job.”
Additionally, the same survey revealed that memorable recognition comes most often from an employee’s manager (28%), followed by a high-level leader or CEO (24%), the manager’s manager (12%), a customer (10%) and peers (9%). Worth mentioning, 17% cited “other” as the source of their most memorable recognition.
Now imagine how far your initiatives would go if you as a leader, CEO, a manager, a parent, a teacher or a community organizer recognized your employees more often.
Recognition not only boosts individuals engagements, it trickles down to your organization’s profitability. Engaged employees and stakeholders are more committed, loyal, creative and productive and bring a sense of ALIVELINESS to work with them.
How then can you spark ALIVENESS into your brand and culture, and be aligned with your mission and vision?
Remember, a great culture doesn’t just happen; the leadership has to be more deliberate. Like a great parent, you the leader will have to set the tone. After all, the river flows from the top!
How to make your recognition more memorable
- Send a hand written note to the person you are recognizing.
- Recognize in public and note to be specific on why you are recognizing
- Encourage your employees to recognize each other
- Make recognition fun and emphasis it’s importance
- Managers and those in senior levels need to be cognizant that they are setting tone—therefore, they need to be methodical, generous and genuine in their recognition efforts
- Set a company wide framework on how to go about recognizing others
- Be consistent and be aligned with your company ethos and embody what you want to realize
Wrapping things up
As the leader, you are the embodiment of your company’s DNA or brand: vision, purpose, values, priorities and culture. How well you go about articulating and aligning these overarching objectives with your recognition efforts will determine your organization’s success.
