Employee Recognition
A Company's Greatest Competitive Advantage
Employee Recognition
A Company's Greatest Competitive Advantage
Tammie Beck, CEO / Founder
Center Point Solutions
Published February 2022
Randy
Pausch
"Showing gratitude is one of the simplest, yet most powerful things humans can do for each other."
Recognition is About Emotions
As a leader, what comes to your mind when you think about employee recognition?
Many leaders believe that compensation, benefits, or other company sponsored recognition programs are sufficient. While it is true that all of these are necessary components of a successful organization, the key difference in a thriving recognition program is Emotional Intelligence.
Simply put, employee recognition is about employees feeling valued and appreciated for their contribution. Employee recognition is not a “check the box activity” – it is about the emotional commitment create d when someone feels valued and appreciated.
When leaders increase their emotional intelligence, it improves their ability to give recognition and gratitude that is authentic, timely, and meaningful.
Recognition is About Emotions
As a leader, what comes to your mind when you think about employee recognition?
Many leaders believe that compensation, benefits, or other company sponsored recognition programs are sufficient. While it is true that all of these are necessary components of a successful organization, the key difference in a thriving recognition program is Emotional Intelligence.
Simply put, employee recognition is about employees feeling valued and appreciated for their contribution. Employee recognition is not a “check the box activity” – it is about the emotional commitment create d when someone feels valued and appreciated.
When leaders increase their emotional intelligence, it improves their ability to give recognition and gratitude that is authentic, timely, and meaningful.
Tammie
Beck
Center Point Solutions CEO
"Recognition is observing or becoming aware of a positive behavior, action, or attitude of another person and sharing gratitude and appreciation in an authentic, timely, and meaningful way with no strings attached.”
Emotional Intelligence impacts our ability to perceive and express ourselves, develop and maintain social relationships, cope with challenges, and use emotional information in an effective way.1
Many aspects of Emotional Intelligence impact how we share recognition with others in our lives, including our employees, co-workers, family, friends, and community members.
The good news is that Emotional Intelligence skills can be developed and improved. Leaders that develop their own emotional intelligence contribute in a positive way to building a strong foundation within their organization.
The Emotional Intelligence model was developed by Reuven Bar-On in the early 1980’s and serves as a foundation for measuring EI 2
Recognition Must Be Authentic
Authentic recognition is true, accurate, real, and genuine. As previously stated, employee recognition is not a check the box activity – it is about the emotional commitment that happens when someone feels valued and appreciated.
Impersonal or generic recognition that is not authentic may do more harm than good in creating a feeling of value. Employees can feel disengaged, resentful, and less inspired by a leader who is not sincere about offering authentic and meaningful appreciation.
Since the goal of recognition is to help an employee feel valued, leaders who give authentic recognition and expect nothing in return will give their employees one of the greatest gifts we can offer – a sense of value.
Leaders who want to benefit from the positive impacts of recognition must use empathy to understand and appreciate how their employees feel. This enables them to express their appreciation in an authentic and meaningful way.
Recognition Must Be Authentic
Authentic recognition is true, accurate, real, and genuine. As previously stated, employee recognition is not a check the box activity – it is about the emotional commitment that happens when someone feels valued and appreciated.
Impersonal or generic recognition that is not authentic may do more harm than good in creating a feeling of value. Employees can feel disengaged, resentful, and less inspired by a leader who is not sincere about offering authentic and meaningful appreciation.
Since the goal of recognition is to help an employee feel valued, leaders who give authentic recognition and expect nothing in return will give their employees one of the greatest gifts we can offer – a sense of value.
Leaders who want to benefit from the positive impacts of recognition must use empathy to understand and appreciate how their employees feel. This enables them to express their appreciation in an authentic and meaningful way.
Recognition Must Be Timely
According to Gallup, people need to receive recognition often (at least every seven days).3 Leaders who provide timely recognition will reinforce desired behaviors within their organization.
Behaviors that are appreciated, valued, and recognized will be repeated… and those repeated behaviors will become ingrained in the culture of the organization.
Leaders who celebrate the successes of their employees and teams with authentic and timely recognition will create excitement, and as importantly, inspire confidence in their employees to become active participants in this culture of recognition.
The key takeaway is that leaders should proactively seek opportunities to recognize and show gratitude as soon as possible.
Employee behavior that is reinforced with gratitude and appreciation will be repeated with a willing and motivated spirit.
Recognition Must Be Timely
According to Gallup, people need to receive recognition often (at least every seven days).3 Leaders who provide timely recognition will reinforce desired behaviors within their organization.
Behaviors that are appreciated, valued, and recognized will be repeated… and those repeated behaviors will become ingrained in the culture of the organization.
Leaders who celebrate the successes of their employees and teams with authentic and timely recognition will create excitement, and as importantly, inspire confidence in their employees to become active participants in this culture of recognition.
The key takeaway is that leaders should proactively seek opportunities to recognize and show gratitude as soon as possible.
Employee behavior that is reinforced with gratitude and appreciation will be repeated with a willing and motivated spirit.
Tammie
Beck
Center Point Solutions CEO
"Procrastination is the enemy of recognition; share your gratitude now and share it often.”
Recognition Must Be Authentic
Authentic recognition is true, accurate, real, and genuine. As previously stated, employee recognition is not a check the box activity – it is about the emotional commitment that happens when someone feels valued and appreciated.
Impersonal or generic recognition that is not authentic may do more harm than good in creating a feeling of value. Employees can feel disengaged, resentful, and less inspired by a leader who is not sincere about offering authentic and meaningful appreciation.
Since the goal of recognition is to help an employee feel valued, leaders who give authentic recognition and expect nothing in return will give their employees one of the greatest gifts we can offer – a sense of value.
Leaders who want to benefit from the positive impacts of recognition must use empathy to understand and appreciate how their employees feel. This enables them to express their appreciation in an authentic and meaningful way.
Recognition Must Be Authentic
Authentic recognition is true, accurate, real, and genuine. As previously stated, employee recognition is not a check the box activity – it is about the emotional commitment that happens when someone feels valued and appreciated.
Impersonal or generic recognition that is not authentic may do more harm than good in creating a feeling of value. Employees can feel disengaged, resentful, and less inspired by a leader who is not sincere about offering authentic and meaningful appreciation.
Since the goal of recognition is to help an employee feel valued, leaders who give authentic recognition and expect nothing in return will give their employees one of the greatest gifts we can offer – a sense of value.
Leaders who want to benefit from the positive impacts of recognition must use empathy to understand and appreciate how their employees feel. This enables them to express their appreciation in an authentic and meaningful way.
Recognition Must Be Meaningful
Organizations that have mastered the art of recognition understand the positive impact Emotional Intelligence has on the culture of their organization.
Every employee has diverse strengths and unique needs relating to how they are motivated, and how they prefer to be recognized. Since employees may prefer different methods of recognition, leaders should be prepared to provide recognition in both formal and informal ways.
Leaders who use their emotional intelligence skills to understand their employees’ unique qualities, and nurture them through meaningful and individualized recognition, will help their employees and the organization thrive.
Employers that thrive will identify employees’ natural strengths, connect them to what the employee does every day, and recognize their contributions with genuine gratitude.
Studies have shown that peer-to-peer recognition is equally important to recognition from leaders and serves a different purpose. Peer to peer recognition creates teamwork, unity, and psychological safety. 4
Leaders that build a culture of recognition and set good examples, will see peer-to-peer recognition become a natural outcome of the way employees interact.
Recognition Must Be Meaningful
Organizations that have mastered the art of recognition understand the positive impact Emotional Intelligence has on the culture of their organization.
Every employee has diverse strengths and unique needs relating to how they are motivated, and how they prefer to be recognized. Since employees may prefer different methods of recognition, leaders should be prepared to provide recognition in both formal and informal ways.
Leaders who use their emotional intelligence skills to understand their employees’ unique qualities, and nurture them through meaningful and individualized recognition, will help their employees and the organization thrive.
Employers that thrive will identify employees’ natural strengths, connect them to what the employee does every day, and recognize their contributions with genuine gratitude.
Studies have shown that peer-to-peer recognition is equally important to recognition from leaders and serves a different purpose. Peer to peer recognition creates teamwork, unity, and psychological safety. 4
Leaders that build a culture of recognition and set good examples, will see peer-to-peer recognition become a natural outcome of the way employees interact.
Tammie
Beck
Center Point Solutions CEO
"Gratitude -
Everyone has a free, unlimited supply to give away.”
Positive Business Outcomes
Research shows organizations that build a culture of meaningful recognition that includes genuine gratitude see many positive measurable business outcomes.
Some of these outcomes include:
• Higher Employee Engagement
• Greater Profitability
• Higher Customer Satisfaction
• Lower Turnover
• Increased Employee Effort and Loyalty 5
Grateful leaders will serve as examples for others within the organization, and desired employee contributions will be reinforced by authentic appreciation – causing those desired behaviors to be repeated.
This emotional investment creates teamwork, unity, and loyalty for the organization within peer groups. In a culture of genuine appreciation employees will loyally strive to go above and beyond.
Since gratitude is one of the only things that increases the more you give it away, organizations that lead with gratitude will reap the benefit of having employees who are grateful, committed, engaged, and willing to emotionally invest in achieving the organization’s goals.
Positive Business Outcomes
Research shows organizations that build a culture of meaningful recognition that includes genuine gratitude see many positive measurable business outcomes.
Some of these outcomes include:
• Higher Employee Engagement
• Greater Profitability
• Higher Customer Satisfaction
• Lower Turnover
• Increased Employee Effort and Loyalty 5
Grateful leaders will serve as examples for others within the organization, and desired employee contributions will be reinforced by authentic appreciation – causing those desired behaviors to be repeated.
This emotional investment creates teamwork, unity, and loyalty for the organization within peer groups. In a culture of genuine appreciation employees will loyally strive to go above and beyond.
Since gratitude is one of the only things that increases the more you give it away, organizations that lead with gratitude will reap the benefit of having employees who are grateful, committed, engaged, and willing to emotionally invest in achieving the organization’s goals.
Integrating Work & Life
What is the greatest recognition you have ever received? Your answer could be something that happened in your personal life or in your career.
People need to feel valued and appreciated in every area of life. The concept of recognition doesn’t just apply to work – it applies wherever you go.
One of life’s challenges today is trying to figure out the balance between our careers and personal life. Choosing where to spend our time can turn into a tug of war between priorities and obligations.
When our work and personal life is not integrated – we can feel guilty, stressed, burned out, and disappointed due to conflicting demands of our time. Learning to integrate our strengths, skills, and emotions into all areas of our life help us create a seamless flow of energy, confidence, satisfaction, and value.
Recognizing the value that others bring to our life is a key to overall wellbeing and happiness. By offering authentic and meaningful recognition in a timely and meaningful way to others in our life we will reap rewards of infinite value.
Integrating Work & Life
What is the greatest recognition you have ever received? Your answer could be something that happened in your personal life or in your career.
People need to feel valued and appreciated in every area of life. The concept of recognition doesn’t just apply to work – it applies wherever you go.
One of life’s challenges today is trying to figure out the balance between our careers and personal life. Choosing where to spend our time can turn into a tug of war between priorities and obligations.
When our work and personal life is not integrated – we can feel guilty, stressed, burned out, and disappointed due to conflicting demands of our time. Learning to integrate our strengths, skills, and emotions into all areas of our life help us create a seamless flow of energy, confidence, satisfaction, and value.
Recognizing the value that others bring to our life is a key to overall wellbeing and happiness. By offering authentic and meaningful recognition in a timely and meaningful way to others in our life we will reap rewards of infinite value.
1 Emotional Quotient Inventory 2.0 Users Handbook, Multi Health Systems
2 Steven J. Stein, PH.D. And Howard E. Book, M.D., The EQ Edge-Emotional Intelligence and Your Success, Multi-Health Systems, Inc. www.mhs.com
3 https://www.gallup.com/workplace/236951/praise-praising-employees.aspx
4 Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton, Leading with Gratitude
5 Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton, Leading with Gratitude
1 Emotional Quotient Inventory 2.0 Users Handbook, Multi Health Systems
2 Steven J. Stein, PH.D. And Howard E. Book, M.D., The EQ Edge-Emotional Intelligence and Your Success, Multi-Health Systems, Inc. www.mhs.com
3 https://www.gallup.com/workplace/236951/praise-praising-employees.aspx
4 Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton, Leading with Gratitude
5 Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton, Leading with Gratitude
Tammie Beck
Center Point Solutions
CEO/Founder
