When was the last time you said this sentence to one of your employees or colleagues?
Managers who authentically express their appreciation for good performance and commitment to their employees are far ahead of their colleagues who neglect to do so. Not only in terms of mood, commitment and self-confidence, but they also simply have less to contend with in terms of staff turnover and recruitment. But how do you show genuine appreciation without it seeming forced?
In order to know who is doing what and how, you need to be informed. It is usually not possible to be close to individual employees due to the size of the team. In order to still be able to give individual praise, it is useful to be updated by the respective team leaders at the weekly jour fixes – not only on projects but also on individual employees. Make a note of the highlights.
Coordinate with your direct manager which performance should be emphasised and how, and who should give the recognition. This is important so that the praise can be accepted. If the employee receives praise from their line manager for an achievement that they take for granted, they will perceive it as artificial and exaggerated. In the worst case scenario, they will feel that they are being made fun of. The praise will not be received.
Be specific: Be very specific about what you liked. If you reward things that are taken for granted, you will come across as untrustworthy and, in the worst case, convey a total lack of knowledge about the tasks, skills and performance of your employees.
The higher you are in the hierarchy above the person you want to praise, the more sensitive you should be when giving praise so that you do not appear untrustworthy.
If, on the other hand, you are the manager who has to deal with the employee on a daily basis, recognition and praise can be credible even for minor successes.
5 tips to ensure that your recognition is well received
Tip 1: Check your attitude
Do you feel genuine pleasure and appreciation for the commitment of your team/employees, or do you think that the work they have done is actually a matter of course? If the latter is the case, you can say what you like, you will convey exactly this feeling.
Tip 2: Take your time
How long was the last conversation with one of your employees who does not report directly to you on a technical or non-technical topic? When was that?
What information did you leave the conversation with and how did he or she feel?
What do you think?
Was it more a vague feeling of caution and uncertainty because the conversation was short, brief and interrupted by phone calls, or did he go back to work with my smile and full of vigour?
Your employees are your most important resource. Give them your time and your undivided attention. This alone is seen as a gesture of appreciation and interest. Listen to what your employee has to say.
Tip 3: Be attentive
Your employees are just as happy as you are to receive small tokens of appreciation. Small things that don’t cost much, such as a card with a few flowers for an employee who is returning to work after leg surgery, or a post-it note saying ‘Thank you for finishing my presentation yesterday – good job!’, are a great way of showing care, attention and genuine interest.
Tip 4: Lend a hand yourself sometimes
Every hand counts when you’re needed. Your employees will appreciate it when you lend a hand with practical tasks. Be it tying the hand-outs for an event, rearranging tables or stowing away the copy paper that has been delivered. Small gestures of this kind do not detract from your status, on the contrary. It strengthens togetherness and the feeling of being ONE team.
Tip 5: Take a close look
Appreciation is also expressed above all by taking your counterpart seriously and recognising them as an individual – i.e. responding to the differences between individuals and their different needs. If you adapt to your employee’s communication style, they are more likely to feel understood. Simply replacing the usual standard greeting with a personalised greeting has a big impact.
Feel free to share your experiences with me. I look forward to hearing from you! 🙂
