A few years ago my boss said to me in a review meeting that we weren’t doing enough recognition. I defended we were probably doing too much. We had Star of the Month, spot awards, recognition mails etc. I also felt exceptional work should be recognized not just great work.
And then a little while ago, an Aha moment for me happened. Recognition is not just about awards, it is also about acknowledging the work being done that is just supposed to be done. A simple Thank You can go very far in acknowledging the person and work s/he is doing. A genuine from the heart Thank You is sometimes as much of a reward as any monthly or annual award. Sometimes that is all we want to hear.
And the opportunities to thank people around us are aplenty: Thank you for collating the data and preparing the report, thank you for organizing the meeting, thank you for participating in the initiative, thank you for organizing the team lunch, thank you for your inputs on the idea, thank you for… the list is endless.
So go ahead, say Thank you to someone today. It’s a great feeling.
4 comments:
What a simple yet powerful thought. Thank you Manish for sharing this! :)
Yes, these two words go a much longer way than any award sitting on my desk...
Like someone said...'it is not what you do once in a while, it is what you do day in and day out that makes the difference.'
Manish,
Good Thought! Some years back I met the Head of HR in a large Indian corporate. He mentioned that every organization has 5-10% great performers and a similar percentage of poor performers. Most organizations create rewards and motivation (read 'carrot and stick') programs to reward or punish the extremes only. No one really bothers about the large majority which is doing what they are supposed to do. What you say above is to simply recognize the effort put in to get the 'expected' done. And yes people need to be thanked for that too.
Thank you.
That is a wonderful thought. Thank You are 2 simple words but hold a wealth of meaning and are a great way of telling someone how much you appreciate them/their work. Thank You for sharing this thought.
Thanks for your comments Taruna, Amit, Sharmala.
I think part of the problem may also be cultural. We Indians aren't really inclined to thank people.
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