How to Boost Team Engagement with Praise

#Sales can be tough, with long stretches of rejections and no wins. As a manager, you can boost your team’s performance during these difficult periods with positive recognition. → Recognize every win, big or small. Positive recognition fosters a healthy attitude on the team, which motivates them during tough times and helps them celebrate the good times. It’s also important to set up reward systems that emphasize not only quota attainment but also your company’s core values. → Reward high performers across different channels. Positive recognition is more impactful when you deliver it in a timely, comprehensive manner on various channels. At SalesRoads, we broadcast shoutouts every day on Slack. Teammates and managers applaud each other when they book an appointment, close a deal, or perform an action that embodies our core values. We also give accolades during meetings and coaching sessions, as well as present awards at our quarterly town halls to star employees and others who exemplify the company’s values. → Collect feedback to improve your reward systems. Every quarter, we conduct a pulse survey to help us understand if our employees feel appreciated or recognized enough. This practice uncovers insights into how the team feels, so we can course-correct and improve our reward systems. Sales is already a tough job. Don’t make it unnecessarily harder by underappreciating your team. Sometimes, all you need to achieve outstanding results is to create a supportive and encouraging environment — and that’s your responsibility as the manager. #Management #leadership

As a leader, it’s hard to ensure everyone on the team is getting enough positive feedback. You might think spreading it across the team is a good way to go, but praise is not peanut butter. How do I know? I did a little experiment in IRL. While teaching performance management, I asked several classes of managers: “How often do you give positive feedback?” Their response was confident and consistent: “Every day.” But in each class with their assistant branch managers, a different reality emerged. When I asked them, “How often do you receive positive feedback from your manager?” the resounding response was, “Never.” How could it be "every day" and "never" at the same time? My “AHA moment” came in examining the managers' approach to feedback. At the close of each day, they’d say, “Great job, everyone!” They thought they were acknowledging good performance, but: it was: ❌ Generic ❌ Routine ❌ Uniformly applied   These managers made a daily effort to help their teams feel appreciated, but their employees didn't experience it as praise. To make your positive feedback truly impactful, be: ➡ Specific: Highlight a particular aspect of the individual's performance ➡ Appreciative: Convey genuine gratitude for a job well done ➡ Energetic: Infuse it with enthusiasm and genuine excitement ➡ Varied: Deliver feedback in different ways (1:1, meeting, email, card, token gift, etc.) 💡 For bonus points: Reframe the impact of the employee’s contributions to be even more significant than how they view it. How do you ensure everyone on your team feels appreciated for their unique contributions? #leadership #leadershipdevelopment #management #managementtraining #feedback

I was reflecting recently on my time at my previous company, RSI, and one area I struggled with was 'meaningful acknowledgment and appreciation': a core principle we cherished but I initially failed to embody. Growing up with high expectations meant achievements were the norm, not exceptions warranting praise. This mindset inadvertently followed me into leadership, where I assumed high-performers didn't need regular affirmations. I quickly learned that wasn't the case for everyone. To address this, I adapted my approach by integrating reminders into my daily management tools to perform written and personal acknowledgments routinely. This practice not only enhanced our team's morale but also turned a personal weakness into one of my strengths as a leader. Leadership isn't just about setting expectations. It's about being attuned to the diverse needs of your team and continually evolving. Where could you be more attentive in your leadership? What strategies might you employ to overcome your blind spots? Let's embrace the journey of self-improvement and lead by example. #leadershipdevelopment #selfimprovement #teambuilding