Recognition- A Leadership Skill
The Power of Acknowledgment (3 Step Exercise).
Recognition involves acknowledging and appreciating the efforts, achievements, behaviours, and contributions of your team.
If you want to excel as a sports captain, a director, a founder, a leader, then I encourage you to recognise the good work of those around you. This is a simple, yet exceptionally effective leadership skill to add to your toolkit which can reap significant rewards. By the end of the exercise, you will know who you want to recognise and have an idea of what you want to tell them.
Why recognise the good work of your team?
Recognising others encourages two things - firstly, when you recognise the good work of your teammates, it shows them that they are seen and appreciated, which impacts their motivation and commitment to the team. Secondly, encouraging good work reinforces positive behaviours. Recognition equals repetition.
Red Flags:
Before you dive into the exercise, be cautious of these red flags; showing favoritism in who you recognise, providing insincere praise, ignoring small but significant contributions, or focusing only on end results and not on effort or improvement.
Here's three steps you can lean into:
Step 1- Prepare:
Think of three teammates who did something really well today. Maybe it was a great effort or performance, their attitude, or their support of the team.
Step 2 - Deliver:
The next time you see them, recognise what they did well. Acknowledge their good work in a way that feels right for you and the situation - it could be a wee note, a pat on the back, a fist bump, a strong head nod … I’ll leave it in your hands.
If it makes sense to recognise them in front of others, all the better.
Step 3 - Make it a Habit:
As you go continue leading, have your radar on for opportunities to praise your teammates (or anyone else involved in your team) and make it a habit. I can assure you that you will make them feel valued and you will consistently shape your team culture. Give it a go.
By consistently recognising your teammates, you encourage and reinforce the behaviours you want to see on your team, as well as create a team environment where your teammates feel valued. Over time, this habit will become ingrained, leading to higher motivation and better performance.
Tools:
Leadership
Emotional Intelligence