Why Employee Recognition Is Important

Study after study points to the value of employee recognition. It impacts job satisfaction, retention and performance. Employers search for innovative ways to build organizational cultures that engage, inspire and motivate. Yet workers across the US continue to say they’re rarely thanked for a job well done.

Never lose sight of the benefit of feedback that takes the form of old-school praise and appreciation. Every human being, no matter how introverted or extraverted, wants to know they’re making a contribution. They want to know that the work they do, day in and day out, matters. They want to know that fighting traffic or crowded trains to get to work, or leaving their children with strangers is for a good reason.

Gone are the days when employers could simply assume that a paycheck is thanks enough. Today’s workforce demands expressed appreciation.


Free Way To Boost Retention

Leaders seeking to boost retention, job satisfaction and productivity need look no further than their own voice. In a recent Gallup workplace survey, 52 percent of employees who were asked who gave them the most meaningful and memorable recognition reported that it came from their manager, a high-level leader or CEO.

If you’re in a leadership role, block out time on your calendar to find and genuinely praise the people who work for you. Even if you already have formal recognition programs, adding “praise while walking around” will create a culture of appreciation.

This simple act can generate pride and personal satisfaction. It’s also a wonderful opportunity to remind the whole team – particularly those who are not top performers, or who work in departments that don’t benefit from incentive plans, that they too are an important spoke in the wheel of your company’s success.


Are You An Optimist, Pessimist or Realist?

Are you an optimist or a pessimist? Or do you fall somewhere in the middle of the optimist-pessimist continuum, which makes you a realist?

Most would say, being a pessimist is bad. And, being an optimist is all good. But according to Jane Collingwood’s article on PsychCentral.com, full-blown optimism has its down side. Unrealistic optimists delete negative information about themselves and their lives. This blinds them to trouble ahead, and their role in achieving certain outcomes. Their rosier-than-real perspective can come with a heavy price. Pure optimists are sometimes unable to genuinely connect with others, and tend to be more prone to the negative health impacts of stress.

Collingwood believes the best approach is “hope for the best, prepare for the worse.” Being a Realist means working to understand the positives and negatives. But most importantly, realists consciously choose to drive outcomes rather than leaving success up to the invisible winds of fate.