Peak Mind Pro: Authentic Recognition

Jun 16, 2023

Authentic recognition five employees clapping

Most people are on board with the importance of fostering DEI and employee wellbeing, yet finding meaningful, lasting ways to impact those areas can be quite difficult. Fortunately, new research from Gallop highlights a seemingly simple and incredibly inexpensive way to do just that.

According to a new report from Gallop, authentic recognition makes a significant positive impact on DEI and employee wellbeing. They conclude, based on their research, that this one strategy can decrease burnout, decrease the percentage of employees looking for a new job, and save real dollars related to turnover.

With many upsides and virtually no drawbacks, "provide authentic recognition" as a directive is fantastic. It's clear, concrete, and the impact to cost ratio is quite favorable. The truth, however, is that this may be a more complicated skill that it seems.

Unexpected Barriers to Implementation

Being able to effectively implement this call to action hinges on you having a certain degree of foundational psychological strength skills. Specifically, you must be able to:

notice and attend to positive things,
embrace authenticity and the prerequisite vulnerability
communicate effectively

If you subscribe to the "no news is good news" philosophy, we'll encourage you to consider why that can backfire. Our brains have a built in negativity bias that makes them more readily notice and hold on to negative or bad things. If the only feedback you are getting or giving is centered on correction, that plays into the negativity bias. Silence does not offset it in the way that positive feedback does.

The kicker is that the psychological impact of positive and negative feedback is not a 1:1 ratio. Because of that built in bias, negatives weigh more. That's why you'll often hear recommendations to provide 3-5 times as many praises or positives for every correction or criticism.

It is important to actively train your brain to notice the good.

The key to providing meaningful recognition is real connection - seeing and being seen. Embracing authenticity means being vulnerable, being real, which is not something that is always comfortable or easy, particularly in a professional setting. Making an effort to be courageous and approach your employees or colleagues from a place of vulnerability can go a long way.

Moreover, providing recognition in an authentic way isn't just about you being real. It's also about truly seeing the other person and tailoring your feedback in a way that is going to land with them and make them feel seen and valued.

Authentic recognition stems from true connection, which requires vulnerability.

Conveying "I see you and appreciate you" in a genuine way also requires communication skills. What you say and how you say it makes a difference. What words do you choose and what, specifically, do you call out? How and when do you deliver the recognition? Is it formal or informal? Is the recipient someone who will thrive with public recognition or will it mean more privately?

Being able to tailor communication skills to the specific context is important.

Actionable Tips

While there is no one size fits all formulaic approach to providing authentic recognition, there are some things you can do to harness the power of this practice.

1. Intentionally look for opportunities to recognize your employees, teammates, and leaders.

Build in a daily practice of writing down a few things you noticed that could warrant recognition.
This practice helps counter your brain's negativity bias and trains it to more readily tune in to opportunities to provide recognition.

2. Level up your verbal recognition skills.

"Good job" may seem like an expression of recognition. The reality, though, is that it might do more harm than good, especially if delivered in a distracted or perfunctory way, because it seems impersonal and fluffy.
"Good job closing that sale" is better because it's more specific, which translates to more meaningful. The issue here, however, is that it focuses solely on the outcome, which isn't completely in the control of the individual. Many variables affect whether a sale is closed, and only some of those are directly influenced or controlled by the individual team member.
"I saw how much effort you put in to getting to know what the customer needed, and you really made that happen. I was impressed" is more like what we're shooting for. This recognition is specific and focused on something squarely within the individual's control. You're communicating that you see them, their effort, and the impact they made.
Bottom line: make the feedback specific to the individual, to their contribution or strengths or efforts rather than output, and figure out what motivates them so you can consider that in your delivery.

3. Bake appreciation into the culture.

Frequent recognition matters more than the occasional. Think of it as small things often versus the once-in-a-blue moon romantic gesture. Which creates a better relationship foundation? Which builds trust and connection?
Establish practices that work for you and your team. Is that starting each meeting with an appreciation free-for-all? Implementing a comment box-style system? Spotlighting someone each week? Highlighting each person's unique contributions at the end of a project? Get creative but make it sustainable.

Additional Resources

The Building Psychological Strength podcast and blog is your go-to resource for actionable information and practical tips for creating a joyful, effective, and resilient life experience, at and outside of work.

Check out these episodes in particular:

How to Build Psychological Safety

Using Emotional Intelligence When Receiving Negative Feedback

Giving Negative Feedback

And these posts:

Peak Mind Pro: The Biggest ROI Comes from Investing in Your People

How to Get More Appreciation In Your Life

How to Invest in Healthy Relationships

Resources from Gallop:

From Appreciation to Equity: How Recognition Reinforces DEI in the Workplace