Have you ever complained you receive too much recognition?
Unfortunately, the opposite is often true & employees feel under-appreciated. Why do some managers fit the description of “recognition misers?” There are several barriers to giving recognition. Do any of them resonate with you?
(1) “I feel awkward giving employees praise & sometimes it makes them uncomfortable.”
As managers identify opportunities to give employees recognition & practice various forms of delivering the message, it will become second nature (“practice makes perfect”).
(2) “My staff knows when business is going well.”
Even when employees are aware of the company’s positive performance, they still need to receive individual acknowledgement of their achievements. This allows employees to understand their role in the company’s success & stay engaged.
(3) “I don’t want to come across as being biased towards one of my employees.”
Giving recognition to one employee communicates the behaviors that are valued to the rest of the team & sets the desired performance standards to strive for.
(4) “I have good intentions of recognizing my staff, but I get busy & forget.”
For recognition to be effective, it must be specific & timely – describing the behavior & the direct impact it had on the manager, team, or company.
(5) “My own manager doesn’t recognize my efforts, so I don’t see what the big deal is.”
Any change in an organization’s culture must start somewhere. By modeling the behavior of giving effective/frequent recognition to your team, your employees will become motivated to do their best work & encourage others.
(6) “Our company has some formal recognition programs & I feel like that’s enough.”
Corporate recognition programs, such as employee tenure gifts & company picnics, have their place. Recognition from an employee’s manager provides a direct, individualized approach that acknowledges their contributions on a more frequent basis.
(7) “I give recognition when my employees reach their annual goals.”
A manager who only provides recognition during an employee’s annual performance review is missing the opportunity to provide consistent & timely feedback. A manager can give employees recognition when they learn a new skill, simplify a work process, go above & beyond for a customer, or work collaboratively with colleagues in other functions.
(8) “I’m afraid to recognize an employee’s accomplishment when his/her overall performance is lacking.”
It’s still important to recognize the baby steps of change in an employee who is underperforming. A manager must be specific with his/her feedback & ensure they are not mixing messages.
Employees need to feel valued & appreciated. R U Ready to Achieve can help create a culture of recognition that benefits staff, managers & your organization. Get in touch to learn more.
