Speaker: Ash Banaszek @ashbanaszek

For more, see the table of contents

Tools

• Interviews
• Spotcheck with collegaues
• DoveTail for affinity mapping

What is recognition

• Exercise: what makes you feel appreciated. Last time and when was. For me, it was yesterday when a manager (not me) acknowledged a milestone our team made on a key project.
• Poll to see when last felt appreciated. Most recent but some were longer than 6 months ago.
• For some people, it is only during annual review
• Making your employees and coworkers feel valued by you and the company
• Be specific, descriptive and timely
• Why are you giving it? What was the impact? Be honest.
• Mono directional – I am recognizing you
• Within the week is best
• Email is ok. Doesn’t have to be formal
• Tailor to the recipient – not everyone wants public attention

Less good examples

• Think about how makes feel when manager has to pay for thank yous because companies don’t want to
• HR sent note with pin for 10 years and manager signature. Ritual, not an accomplishment. Not personalized. Form letter.
• Too late – forget
• Where is the bar. If you are never appreciated, better than nothing.
• Checking a box
• Recognition is not the same as team building.
• Don’t want to wait 6 months. Less impact the longer you wait.

Formats

• Gift
• Money
• Time off
• Face time
• Public praise
• Personal note
• What is best varies by person.
• Exercise: think about what motivates you
• Less genuine if do same thing for everyone.

Better

• Be specific. Mention something did. Not just 10 years.
• “The team did great on X. We are going out bowling to celebrate”. Better if list specific things during the event for specific people

Why helps

• Feel happy
• More productive when believe colleagues respect and appreciate them, gratitude from manager

What is worth recognition

• Save time/effort
• Make things better
• Outside job scope
• Stretching skill set
• Doing job while under tough circumstances
• New certification
• Going to conference and presented
• Example of learning from failure (before too late)
• Something cool
• Recognize for things reinforce

Tips

• Block calendar – Ash blocks half an hour to think about gratitude, check in on mentees/managers, send out notes
• Include in project milestones (if x is true, we will do y)
• Put in performance goals. Makes measurable. I recognized X people.
• Talk about it with team/leadership
• Must be visible and supported by the top to be part of the culture. Example: if X, team has lunch with you
• Tailor recognition – ex: gifts, meals, emails
• Remember is it s a thank you gift
• Vary approach for effect
• Make it easy to give
• Make it a habit – schedule time
• Build reputation for gratitude. People want to work with people who appreciate them
• Reinforce people recognizing others

Who to recognize

• Not just managers can do
• Teammates
• Other work teams
• People in roles above you
• Contractors

Traps

• “But that’s their job anyway; Already get paycheck, that is recognition” – think about what done that special
• “What if people don’t think it’s fair” – not recognizing anyone because someone might be upset. Need to make it fair. Find out how doing if less visibility.
• “My folks don’t need to coddled; don’t want to be recognized” – culture failure
• “We already have a yearly bonuses” – not specific, descriptive or timely
• “There’s not on my team, someone else can do it” – all working towards same goal
• “It’s not worth my time” – well worth ROI because others more productive
• Fear of “watering down” recognition – number vs specific recognition/scope. Needs to be equivalent in nature to what did
• Inauthentic – can’t just want productivity gain
• Ignoring standard practices – if everyone else recognizes anniversary, feel ignored
• Folks feeling isolated/unseen – talk to others to find out how doing
• Overcompensating – feels like want something when disproportionate.
• Checking the box
• If barrier to entry too high, people won’t do. Ex: having to find a paper form

My take

Ash asked everyone in the first two rows to wear a mask. People complied. I was impressed they got compliance. The talk was interesting. The examples were relatable and fun. The “what to consider” was helpful in getting me to reflect. I like the reinforcement of specific, descriptive and timely throughout! They said we’d be asked to talk to each other but that didn’t happen so I was wondering when that was coming. At the end, we wrote down what would have been in the brainstorming groups and shared out loud. Seemed equally effective.