{"id":151,"date":"2018-07-09T23:35:26","date_gmt":"2018-07-09T23:35:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/danielvlopes238992071.wordpress.com\/2018\/07\/09\/stickers-vs-words-8-ways-to-give-employee-recognition-sincerely\/"},"modified":"2025-02-28T11:06:28","modified_gmt":"2025-02-28T19:06:28","slug":"stickers-vs-words-8-ways-to-give-employee-recognition-sincerely","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canopy.is\/blog\/2018\/07\/09\/stickers-vs-words-8-ways-to-give-employee-recognition-sincerely\/","title":{"rendered":"Stickers vs. Words: 8 ways to give employee recognition sincerely"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I\u2019m tired of gimmicky ways to praise your team. Here\u2019s how to commend your team for a job well done, meaningfully.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

My third grade teacher Ms. Mullens had a bulletin board of star stickers in her classroom. On the board, she\u2019d place a star sticker next to your name if you\u2019d cleaned out your cubby, tucked in your chair, and turned in your homework on time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I liked those star stickers. But what I appreciated even more was what Ms. Mullins wrote on my report card: \u201cClaire is a conscientious, caring individual\u2026<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I still remember that decades later. Her words mattered, not her stickers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to employee recognition, we seem to have forgotten this. These days, we care about the stickers\u200a\u2014\u200anot the the words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rocket ship emojis in the Slack \u201ckudos\u201d channel, employee recognition software with \u201cbadges,\u201d and Amazon gift cards awarded at all-hands meetings\u200a\u2014\u200athis is the new norm for CEOs and managers who thank their employees. Now I love a perfectly-placed, underutilized emoji (and Amazon gift card!) as much as anyone. But some of the most meaningful moments of my career have not been because someone gave me a thumbs-up badge. I\u2019ve felt most valued when I did one small thing that really helped someone I worked with, and that person let me know in a sincere way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Employee recognition is about saying something, and meaning it. If a heart emoji or a free lunch are the only ways you say \u201cthank you\u201d or \u201cgood job\u201d in your company\u200a\u2014\u200ayou\u2019re missing the point. If you want to say something sincerely, say it with words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We rely on stickers, gadgets and trinkets to express our gratitude because, often times, we don\u2019t know what to say, how to say it, or when to say it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So I asked our leadership community in Canopy<\/a> what advice they had for managers who struggle to give praise in a sincere way. Here\u2019s what they had to say:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#1: Don\u2019t force it.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Praise is useful for encouraging your team\u200a\u2014\u200abut it should be organic. If you find yourself struggling to come up with praise for an employee, pass on it this time around. Better to not say anything at all than to say something you don\u2019t 100% believe is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#2: Share a customer review.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

If you find it hard or awkward to let an employee know how they\u2019re doing, try sharing feedback from a happy customer. One Watercooler member admitted: \u201cFrankly, it makes praise easier to give and more genuine when it comes from customers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#3: Focus on recognizing individuals, not just teams.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

As managers, our default is to \u201cthank the sales team\u201d or \u201cthank the design team.\u201d Yet, if applied too broadly, the benefits of that praise can stagnate. Studies<\/a> have shown individual-based recognition systems tend to be more effective than team-based recognition systems (particularly in Western countries).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#4: Remove the buzzwords.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re a rock star who\u2019s killing it.\u201d Yuck. Anytime you use a trite phrase, you erode the sincerity within your comment. Don\u2019t depend on hyperbole to communicate your praise. Take a moment to be specific. Say what you mean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#5: Praise people during one-on-one meetings<\/a>.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

There is nothing more sincere than commending someone face-to-face. They can hear your tone, read your body language, and look you in the eye. In these settings, you can also go into greater of detail why you value their work, and the impact of this person\u2019s contributions to the company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#6: Don\u2019t be afraid to praise publicly, in front of everyone.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

When you\u2019re in a group, you can highlight and publicly praise individuals who have made progress since your last meeting. This helps establish what \u201cgood work\u201d looks like to the entire team, and inspires other team members to step up. In fact, studies<\/a> show that other team members benefit when a top performer is recognized (this is known as \u201crecognition spillover effects.\u201d)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#7: Make sure praise comes from peers , not just managers.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Encourage your team to praise one another. Getting recognition from you as a manager matters, but it\u2019s also helpful to know peers<\/em> appreciate hard work. One Watercooler member offered an example of a weekly tradition where people take a few minutes out of their day to give praise to their peers. \u201cIt\u2019s optional\u2026 Not everybody gives and gets thank you\u2019s every week, which keeps it from feeling forced or inauthentic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#8: Use your stickers sparingly.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Tangible gifts can backfire. A 2009 global survey<\/a> conducted by McKinsey observed that non-cash incentives are more effective than cash incentives\u200a\u2014\u200aincluding performance-based cash bonuses. And, they can offend some people who find them transactional. In this situation, it\u2019s wise to ask people what they prefer on a individual basis. Also be wary that a \u201ckudos\u201d system in a digital communication channel (e.g. Slack) can come across as disingenuous for some teams. Ask your team if they\u2019d enjoy it, or test it out before committing fully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not sure what specific words you should use when giving praise?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re stuck on the words themselves, here are some ideas Watercooler members shared for things to say when you\u2019re not sure how to praise people:<\/p>\n\n\n\n