Recognizing Colleagues to Enhance Employee Experience

Your recognition program is hurting your culture. Not helping it. A leader once thought their annual awards ceremony was enough. But their team felt unseen and undervalued. Sound familiar? 87% of recognition programs focus on tenure. Not on behaviors that drive performance. Recognition isn't about: → Annual awards ceremonies → Generic "good job" emails → Quarterly gift cards → Public praise that makes introverts cringe It's about seeing what others miss. The best leaders I know understand: 1. Specificity and Timing Matter → Don't just say "great work"—say what made it exceptional + impact. → Small, immediate recognition beats big, delayed praise. 2. Recognition Preferences Vary → Ask your people how they want to be recognized → Some crave the spotlight, others prefer quiet conversations. 3. System Over Sentiment → Create a recognition rhythm. → Block time each week to notice what's working, not just what's broken. 4. Consistency is Key → Make recognition a regular part of your routine, not an occasional gesture. →Consistent recognition builds trust and reinforces positive behaviors. 5. Empower Peer Recognition → Encourage team members to recognize each other = culture → Peer recognition can be just as powerful as recognition from leadership. Research shows teams increase productivity by 14% with effective recognition Not by working harder But by noticing better. The leaders who build high-performing cultures? They don't have more time than you. They just leverage recognition as a multiplier. How do you recognize your team's efforts? 

🎶 “I got, I got, I got loyalty, got royalty inside my DNA…” — Kendrick Lamar, “DNA.” A Little Goes a Long Way Low-Cost, High-Impact Employee Recognition Strategies in Healthcare From the Desk of HR In healthcare, excellence is expected. But recognition is earned—and often overdue. Nurses, techs, admin staff, EVS workers, CNAs, and providers show up with grit, grace, and skill every day. But when was the last time someone looked them in the eye and said, “I see you”? As Kendrick Lamar reminds us in “DNA,” greatness isn’t always loud—but it’s deeply rooted. It’s in the way a charge nurse mentors a new grad. The way a transporter calms a worried patient. The way your scheduler finds coverage—again. That’s culture. That’s heart. And it deserves to be acknowledged. And here’s the truth: you don’t need a budget increase to build a recognition culture. You need intention. Here are 5 low-cost, high-impact ways to elevate recognition across your healthcare system: ⸻ 💬 1. Name the Win, and Make It Visible Celebrate small moments in huddles, newsletters, or bulletin boards. Tie praise to organizational values: Compassion. Excellence. Teamwork. Let people hear their name associated with something good. ⸻ ✍🏾 2. Handwritten Notes Still Save Shifts A sticky note from a manager: “Thank you for staying late to cover discharge rounds. You kept the unit moving.” Personal. Timely. Remembered. ⸻ 👟 3. Manager Rounds of Appreciation Once a week, leaders walk the unit—not to check, but to thank. One minute per employee. One sentence of real recognition. Eye contact. That’s how you make culture felt, not just stated. ⸻ 🤝 4. Peer-to-Peer Spotlight Boards Create a “You Make the Shift Better” board. Let staff shout each other out for unseen but essential moments. Peer praise builds culture from the inside out. ⸻ 📈 5. Connect Praise to Possibility Don’t just say “good job.” Say: “This kind of leadership tells me you’re ready for more.” Recognition becomes a pipeline when it points toward growth. ⸻ Final Thought from HR Recognition is more than a program—it’s a pulse. It tells your people they’re not just doing a job—they’re holding the system together. 🎧 So whether they’re charting vitals, cleaning rooms, placing IVs, or comforting families—say something. Say it often. Say it loud. Because they’ve got royalty inside their DNA. And your culture is stronger when you name it.

In The Doors You Can Open, I describe a practice that was shared with me by an interviewee: Thankful Thursdays. Every Thursday, this leader makes a point to send a personal email to someone she has noticed making a positive impact in her organization. She finds that proactively acknowledging others’ contributions is a wonderful way to create or deepen relationships. It works because very few of us get positive feedback from other people, much less appreciation. Thankful Thursdays is an individual version of organizational peer recognition systems. I have tried to adopt them as well in my own teaching by having students nominate their peers for making positive contributions to their learning. But it’s an open question whether these types of systems change behavior. Does knowing that there is a possibility that one’s contributions could be formally recognized by peers lead to more helping behavior? Or, as in the case of Joseph Burke Ryan Sommerfeldt Laura Wang ‘s research, does knowing that one can acknowledge the contribution of one’s peers make one more likely to ask for help? Using experimental methods, they find that yes, in fact, peer recognition systems do increase help-seeking. Importantly, willingness is also predicated on whether the peer recognition system has been adopted by others in the organization, and more specifically, by other people at the same rank in the organization. That is, knowing that peers were using the peer recognition system increases help-seeking, but seeing that people not at the same rank are using the system can actually decrease help-seeking. Specifically, participants who were assigned to a senior manager position in a scenario were less likely to ask a peer senior manager for help when they believed that the peer recognition system was largely adopted by junior analysts, but not senior managers. The idea here is that seeing people similar to ourselves utilizing these systems signal to us what is normal in the firm. Notably, the researchers also find that peer recognition systems’ adoption patterns matter for help-seeking behavior above and beyond when leaders of the firm state that they want the culture of the firm to be one where help-seeking is normalized. Meaning, leader statements about desired culture do not work as well as implementing systems that make the culture more achievable. In sum, it’s not enough for leaders to say what they want the culture to be; they also need to put in place systems that reward the kind of behavior that they claim to want. Second, for behavior to change, people often need to be convinced that everyone else is doing it first. This is why publicly highlighting desired behavior is so important when it comes to organizational culture; most of us do what we see other people doing. If other people are helping, and other people are similarly recognizing that help, it tells us that helping is a normal and valued part of the job.

A colleague had been coming to work every day for 7 years. Never missed a deadline or under-delivered. One day… he asked his manager for feedback on his contributions. The manager (minding their own business) said: "Oh, you're doing fine. Just keep doing what you're doing." You know what my colleague did? He quit the next day. Would I have advised him to do that? Probably not. Did he overreact? Absolutely not. You see… He had been receiving the same kind of answer for quite some time. So, even if his manager didn't know, he was already planning his ultimatum. And your team members might be planning theirs as well. Here's a stat that will blow your mind: According to a recent report from Gallup and Workhuman, employees who get meaningful recognition for their work are 45% less likely to leave their jobs. That's right. Proper recognition is the difference between retaining or losing your best talent. Here's what smart leaders understand about recognition at work: ✅ It drives professional development. ✅ It creates community and connection. ✅ It's a powerful antidote to stress and burnout. ✅ Recognition changes how people feel about their work. The data doesn't lie. Based on the same 2-year study, tracking 3,400 workers found something fascinating: → High-quality recognition = 45% higher retention. → Stronger sense of community among team members. → Lower stress levels reported by recognized employees. Here's what you can do today: 1. Create systems for consistent feedback. 2. Make recognition meaningful and specific. 3. Catch good behavior as it happens - don't wait. 4. Recognize people for who they are, not just what they do. Your people aren't just looking for a paycheck. They want to feel seen, valued, and appreciated. — P.S. Unlock 20 years' worth of leadership lessons sent straight to your inbox. Every Wednesday, I share exclusive insights and actionable tips in my newsletter. (Link in my bio to sign up). Remember, leaders succeed together.

Ra ra doesn’t drive performance. Most leaders think they’re nailing recognition. They say: "Great job, team!" "Appreciate the hard work!" But here’s the truth: Generic praise doesn’t stick. It’s forgettable. It doesn’t motivate. And it certainly doesn’t drive performance. Why? 🚫 No specifics – People don’t know what they did well, so they can’t improve or repeat it. 🚫 It feels routine – When recognition sounds the same every time, it loses its impact. 🚫 It skips the ‘how’ – Effort, problem-solving, and resilience go unnoticed. 🚫 It’s impersonal – People feel valued when they’re seen, not when they’re lumped into a group. So, how do you fix this? ✅ Be specific and direct – Say exactly what stood out. "Your insights in that meeting helped us refine our approach - thank you for speaking up." ✅ Recognize the process, not just the results - Effort matters. Acknowledge persistence, creativity, and problem-solving, not just the final win. ✅ Make it public when possible - Celebrate people in front of their peers. It reinforces a culture of appreciation. ✅ Encourage peer recognition - Top-down praise is good, but recognition from colleagues builds stronger teams. ✅ Make it personal - Know what lights people up. Some thrive on public praise. Others prefer a private note. Know what motivates your team. Recognition isn’t about hype and cheerleading. It’s about reinforcing the behaviors and making people feel valued in a way that actually drives performance. If your praise isn’t driving behavior, it’s not recognition - it’s noise, and it’s time to rethink how you do it. #leader #team #recognition #highperformance

BETTER than trophies and certificates: This recognition? It comes FROM your colleagues! ⭐Peer-to-peer (P2P) recognition programs are often an UNTAPPED well for boosting employee morale, engagement, and appreciation. ⭐ In a previous role, I noticed a LACK of appreciation within the company culture. This was confirmed by exit interview comments. So, I implemented a P2P recognition program using a software called Motivosity (not a sponsored post!). This platform allowed employees to give each other small cash rewards ($1-$5+) for any reason. The impact was REMARKABLE! We saw significant improvements in employee retention and satisfaction scores. One departing employee even highlighted the program as "the best thing to happen" to their division, crediting it with fostering a positive change in culture. Tips for getting started: ⤵ ✅ Choose the right platform ✅ Promote the program ✅ Lead by example ✅ Make it fun and easy ➡ Have you experienced the power of P2P recognition? #HR #HumanResources #EmployeeAppreciation #CompanyCulture #EmployeeEngagement #PeerRecognition

Happy Employee Appreciation Week (EAW for short)! At Chase, we know that appreciation is more than just a yearly event—it’s a daily commitment. It means acknowledging the small, often unnoticed efforts that contribute to our success and expressing gratitude for the hard work that might not always be visible but is crucial to our achievements. In our fast-paced environment, recognition is essential. It fuels motivation, engagement, and a sense of belonging. As we kick off EAW this year, I want to highlight the importance of recognizing and valuing our incredible team members every day and share how I show appreciation – emojis and exclamation marks (and the occasional BOOM)! I love getting updates on achievements via email and use it as an opportunity to quickly thank our team and celebrate their success. Our jobs are hard! We’re breaking down big, complex challenges, at incredible scale and a positive and upbeat attitude supports and inspires people. I bring that to every interaction I have – particularly those that are in the thick of this work – as I know it inspires me when I experience the same. Here are some ways I do that: 1. Be Timely and Specific: Recognize achievements as they happen. Specific feedback is more impactful than generic praise (e.g., “You’re doing a great job” vs. sharing specifically what is great about the work that’s being done). 2. Personalize Your Approach: Understand what forms of recognition resonate with each team member. Tailor your appreciation to their preferences. Some folks prefer to be recognized privately vs. sharing praise in a big group setting and vice versa. I’ve also found some folks appreciate a written thank you more than saying it in a meeting. 3. Encourage Peer Recognition and Lead by Example: Foster a culture where colleagues appreciate and recognize each other by doing it yourself. Celebrate other peoples’ wins. Peer recognition can be incredibly powerful (and it helps boost morale and motivation, too). On that note, thank you to all my amazing Chase (and JPMorganChase) colleagues for your hard work, dedication, and passion. You inspire me every day, and I am grateful for everything you do. Let’s celebrate you this week and every week! 🎉 #EmployeeAppreciationWeek #Gratitude #Recognition