Many questions are asked about how to best recognize talent for their achievements. Questions like:
- What are the best ways to recognize employees?
- To incentivize or not to incentivize?
- To shout out publicly or not?
Every person perceives the ROI of their work in a unique way. For some, it’s money. For others, it’s public recognition. Others may just want to build something other use. The list goes on.
Every organization develops channels to recognize employees. Perhaps it’s a public kudos board. Maybe it’s a company recognition program to award employees for their excellent performance — you see this with sales teams.
The challenge many managers face is: how do I find that happy medium between what a person needs and how my organization operates? Which channel do I optimize?
Principle: Find the equilibrium of personal and organizational culture, and if you have to choose, optimize for the personal.
Every person tells themselves a story about themselves. In that story, they want to be the hero. In that story, the way they become the hero is unique to them. Here’s how you discover that:
- Ask: What’s important to you about work?
- Ask: What do you want to say you accomplished here 3 years from now? What bullet points do you hope to write on your resume?
- Ask: What would be the most cringe-inducing form of recognition you might receive?
You don’t have to ask those exact question — simply be curious about the employee and what matters to them. Listen carefully, make notes, and act in a way that optimizes for their preferences.
Talent Revolution 