Getting Recognition

Recognizing each other’s achievements, talent & wisdom on a continuous basis is the grown-up equivalent as the grades which were given in school times for behavior, and can inspire the workplace.

During the school days, earning the grades from teachers was a great deal for us, maybe because it didn’t occur very often. According to the grades, we felt recognized and important. As a result, it made us work harder and be as sincere as to the expectations of the teacher, which was not able if we were left alone without any consideration.

But nowadays, we don’t have the grades anymore, and I think that’s too bad. Current findings in positive psychology and organizational development bear me out, suggesting that people and organizations flourish when they focus on achievements and best practices.

Certain members of the workforce development community agree to this condition. In her thought-provoking book The Power of Acknowledgment, Judith W. Umlas maintains that recognizing each other's achievements, talent and wisdom on a continuous basis is the grown-up equivalent of the grade school gold star and can inspire the workplace.

Umlas is a senior vice president at the International Institute for Learning (IIL). She believes that creating a culture of appreciation within an organization or team can produce breakthrough results. She presents a strong business case for recognition and drives home the need to incorporate it into the workplace, listing the payoffs as increased employee engagement, enhanced productivity and better working relationships.

At the heart of her thesis are the seven principles of acknowledgment. One of these principles should resonate strongly with organizational leaders concerned about maximizing the potential of their human capital:

"Principle No. 4:

"Recognizing good work leads to high energy, great feelings, high-quality performance and terrific results. Not acknowledging good work causes lethargy, resentment, sorrow and withdrawal."

Umlas isn't telling us anything we don't already know from numerous studies and reports. According to Umlas, this startling level of disengagement results from people not knowing they are valued and feeling they are not contributing.

"I see a lot of event and webinar announcements from HR organizations - they seem to always be looking for ways to keep their major talent engaged," Umlas writes in her blog. "They need look no further than making sure that they have created a culture of appreciation in their organizations. ... I have heard acknowledgment referred to as 'the double paycheck,' which I think is very fitting. Even people who are earning less money than they feel they should be earning will dig in and engage fully if that other 'paycheck' is coming regularly."

Like all who aspire to high-impact leadership, learning executives must develop the soft skills that support the harder assets they bring to the table, such as strategic thinking and business acumen. Recognition is one of those soft & critical leadership skills. It has the power both to influence important decisions and to inspire people to attain peak performance. And it affects every organization's ability to step up performance to meet new challenges.

For the learning organization, recognition is part and parcel of assuring the continuing commitment of high potentials and preparing strong leaders to fill the company pipeline. The trick, of course, is knowing how to use the tool of recognition in an effective way.

Providing dynamic leadership development, mentoring opportunities and strengths-based coaching are all concrete ways to recognize the value of employees and demonstrate the organization's commitment to advancing their careers.