Seriously, you wouldn’t believe how many people in organisations, senior, mid-level and junior, comment that they hardly ever, or even never, get any form of acknowledgement from their boss.
Well, to be brutally honest, it’s not so much that they comment about it but more that they grumble about it.
This is a crucial topic!
What impact do you think getting only once-in-a-blue-moon acknowledgment has on how your team members’ feel about their job and you? It’s not good I’m afraid.
It’ll be costing you and your team’s productivity, unless you happen to be one of the 10% of leaders who have this right!
Yes, They Want It, They Need It, And You Need It Too!
OK, I concede that some people are externally referenced, and others are internally referenced. What I mean by that is:
- Some people frequently need to hear, that their work is appreciated, especially from their boss.
- And others don’t need that sort of acknowledgement nearly as often.
But even internally referenced team members need some acknowledgement. Even the most internally referenced person complains every so often that they don’t know what their boss thinks of the job they’re doing.
Am I doing well in my boss’s eyes or not?
That’s the question many, many team members want answered.
They won’t normally tell you it’s important to them. But believe me, it is!
How Often Is Often Enough When It Comes To Acknowledgment?
Well, the answer to this question depends on what’s important to you:
- How motivated would you like your team members to be?
- How much discretionary effort do you want them to put in?
If you want high motivation and discretionary effort, I recommend that you acknowledge each team member at least once a week—authentically of course.
And It Works Best When It’s Eyeball-To-Eyeball, Or Voice-To-Voice At Least
By acknowledgement I mean, as you walk by say “Hey Sam, thanks for producing such a great report. I’m glad you’re in my team 
.”
Sure, you could email them. However voice-to-voice acknowledgment is by far the best.
Remember, words make up only a small proportion of your total communication. For starters, they can hear the warmth in your voice when you speak to them—and hearing the warmth is going to be a lot more impactful than words on their own could be.
Your Leadership Call to Action
Isn’t this a fine time of the year to grow this habit—the time of giving and gifting?
I reckon this is the best gift you can give your team members—having them feel valued and respected by someone who’s so significant to them—their boss.
They’ll be more joyful when you’re up to full speed with this! I promise .
Are you up for this? Are you ready to step up and boost your team members’ favourable feelings about their jobs, and about you too?
Find worthwhile things they’ve done, or even worthwhile intentions they’ve had, and let them know you appreciate them.
Go on—it’ll be worth it. They’ll feel great, and you will too.
Have a fulfilling holiday season .
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Carolyn Stevens has worked with leaders for more than 25-years—hundreds of them.
She’s supported leader after leader (including those who previously struggled to confront the difficult, let alone persuasively deal with the it) flourish—and become confident, courageous and impressively influential.
Carolyn is authentic and results-oriented. She draws on an eclectic array of approaches, tools and techniques to suit the situation.
