Over the last several weeks I have written articles on the importance of inspiring and encouraging others. Our sixth pillar: TO RECOGNIZE may seem the same as the last two pillars. In actuality, I see it as an extension of these two. I think recognition is a means of inspiring and encouraging and one way that we can build a culture of appreciation. I read in an article this week that 42% of American workers say they do not feel appreciated in their jobs. In our recent end-of-year surveys our team members' responses matched those results. Only sixty percent of our team members said they feel appreciated. We can all agree that the number needs to be much higher to create the culture we desire. One great way to create great culture is to build a culture of recognition.
What is a Culture of Recognition?
In a culture of recognition, employees know that their company values them and their contributions to the success of their organization. A culture of recognition builds trust and security, and employees are more motivated to continue doing great work. Recognition consistently emerges in studies on improving workplace culture and has proven to be a primary driver in engaging and motivating employees to do their best.
So, how do you build a culture of recognition?
Start at the top: Workplace culture needs to be modeled by all levels of leadership and needs full support to establish a true recognition culture.
Make the connection: Align recognition with your company’s strategies and core values. Employee recognition is most effective when it’s tied back to the behaviors that your organization values.
Make giving recognition easy: Recognition platforms, like Kudos, that are accessible to all employees via a web browser, a mobile app, or a kiosk make it easy for employees to give and receive recognition.
Don’t just focus on rewards: While rewards still hold value, recognition should always be the center of your program, with points and rewards secondary.
Be consistent: Keep your recognition program top-of-mind and encourage your leadership teams to embrace it. Giving recognition should become a habit within your organization (even recognizing the small things!).
Scripture tells us that ‘Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. I hope we feel the need to appreciate and recognize our team members at a heart level not just at a head level. Once we really feel real appreciation in our heart it will change our words and actions. Take some time today to really appreciate your team and then take a small step to share with them how much you value them. Remember recognition does not have to be expensive, just heartfelt and consistent to accomplish our goal of building a culture of recognition.
Yours in Christ,
dan
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