3 Facts about Recognition & Encouragement

It was standing room only at the historic ballpark. Parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters and locals who support the invitational pre-season tournament eagerly awaited the game. The anticipation was high, as all the teams invited to the tournament were outstanding with high expectations for the upcoming regular season.

Gabe stepped on the mound and began warming up with pitches to the catcher. After the last warm up pitch, the catcher, first baseman and third baseman strode to the mound. They huddled for a few seconds, gave Gabe encouragement, fist bumped their gloves and then took their positions. It was game time.

It’s not every day a pitcher faces this kind of competition where the #1 ranked high school player in the country, who's known for his monster home runs, is in the lineup.

The first pitch was a strike. The game was underway.  Every play mattered. Coaches recognized what the players did well and provided correction after mistakes and miscues. Fans and the locals cheered on the teams. It was loud. And tense.

Athletes sure do get a lot of recognition and encouragement. And that’s a great thing.

What about your team members? Do they get a lot of recognition and encouragement? 

As I’ve helped leaders build exceptional teams, I’ve interfaced with thousands of people. And you know what team members say about recognition and encouragement. They get very little of it. When things are rocky, they get an earful of criticism but rarely encouragement. 

And what about recognition for doing great work and delivering results? Many leaders fail to provide it, believing that their team members will start slacking off if they’re recognized. Nothing could be farther from the truth!

Many team members are getting so little recognition and encouragement that they're on the verge of throwing in the towel. They're ready to walk away and find another job with a company where they're hopeful they’ll be valued.

This is a real problem.

Do you really want your team members just marking time, counting the days until they can move on? Or do you want them engaged in their work and committed to delivering results?

Here are 3 Facts about Recognition & Encouragement

Fact #1: They’re for EVERYONE

Just because your team members don’t outwardly express doubt, concern, or disappointment doesn’t mean they don’t need encouragement. Which team member do you suppose will work harder? And safer? And produce better results? The team member who feels unnoticed and unappreciated? Or the team member who has been recognized and encouraged?

FACT #2: They’re SIMPLE to give

It only takes a minute or two to let a team member know you have confidence in them and that you value their contribution to the team. The biggest reason many people in a leadership position fail to provide recognition is that they’ve received so little of it themselves. So it’s a perpetual cycle. A cycle we need to break.

FACT #3: They’re FREE

Business leaders are naturally attentive to costs. But here’s the thing. Recognition and encouragement costs absolutely nothing. It requires no cash outlay, no approval process, and no documentation. Nor does it require tools, technology, or equipment. Recognition and encouragement delivers a powerful ROI.

Are you, as the leader of your team, providing the recognition and encouragement your team members need? Are you building a culture of recognition and encouragement among your team members?

Who did you recently recognize or encourage? How often are you witnessing one of your team members recognizing and encouraging another team member?

Truett Cathy, founder of Chick-fil-A, was known for saying: "How can you tell when someone needs recognition? The answer: They're breathing."

I couldn’t agree more. 

P.S. Opening Day of Gabe’s baseball season was Monday. If you need me, I’ll be at the high school baseball field cheering on my favorite pitcher (#19) and his team. Go Tigers!