Sincerely showing your gratitude for what others do is a great way to build teams and morale, and to aid employee retention. Making sure others feel seen and valued on a regular basis is something that anyone can do, especially if they take the time to make it a priority. Think about both your coworkers and direct reports and ensure that they know how valuable they are to the organization—and to you.
Prioritize. Always be on the lookout for the good things people do, especially those that are above and beyond their responsibilities, and find ways to appreciate them in the moment. The coworker who stays late or covers an extra meeting, or the one who always makes a fresh pot of coffee in the morning. Once you start looking, you may be surprised at how many you find.
Specify. The more specific you can be, the more the other person will feel seen. Instead of “great job on that project,” you could say “your ability to de-escalate the situation and negotiate the team to a productive solution was amazing.” Compliment them on doing part of their job extremely well, or how they have grown in a particular skill. You can use anniversaries, career milestones, or professional accomplishments (like finishing a degree or continuing education classes) as reasons to acknowledge them. Don’t forget to recognize them for trying, even if the results were not what was expected or desired.
Fairness. Make sure that everyone is recognized and rewarded proportionally to their contribution. If you are not close enough to the project to know who really did what, ask for information from everyone on the team, including how much each person contributed and what their major contributions were.
Approach. It’s always good practice to praise in public and criticize in private. What will be the most effective way to share your appreciation? In a one-on-one meeting, in front of the entire team during a scheduled meeting, or at a special gathering just for that purpose (which we’d recommend for very special recognition, so as not to make others feel overlooked)? Should you thank them verbally, in the group chat, or in writing with a copy for their file and one for their supervisor? Make sure the appreciation is timely—you can always praise them again at their annual review or teamwide recognition event, but immediate acknowledgement in addition is always gratifying.
Substance. If you have the budget, add something substantial to your appreciation. A gift card to a place you know they frequent, extra time off, an upgrade to their home office setup, or even a bonus can go a long way toward proving your appreciation is more than just words. The more thought and personalization you put into the reward, the more sincere your thanks will be. There are also some things that don’t cost money – the opportunity to pick their next project, more responsibility, or more input into their career direction.
No matter what people do, they want to be recognized and appreciated for their contributions. Ensuring that they know they are seen and valued is an excellent way to keep them on your team, looking for new and better ways to contribute.
Get involved in the discussion. The ACS Career Tips column is published monthly in C&EN. Send your comments and ideas for topics for future columns to [email protected].
