Recognition, appreciation aren’t the same

Women & Leadership

According to one, Andy Chan, leaders need to understand the distinction between them and know what their employees want and this applies to leaders of both gender. Below is what Chan says in detail.

Recognition is on What They Did

Burning, bright and focused, recognition is based on past performance. It is about giving positive feedback based on results or performance. For instance, the leader can do it the formal way using an award, bonus, promotion or raise. They can even give a public speech or a handwritten note if they want to be informal.

Done in a timely and genuine way, any of those actions can be meaningful, motivating and exciting. Unfortunately, what many do not know is that there are limitations to such a method: Recognition needs performance, and thus by default, is conditional. Without fulfilling a certain condition, no recognition can be given

It is based on past performance It cannot be given liberally. Not everyone can get a nice public speech for everything great they’ve done. That lessens the impact of recognition and turns it into an extrinsic motivator

Major forms of recognition like promotions, raises, and so on are typically given by senior leaders, which means that most recognition will come from the top. Extrinsic motivators are already shown to be less effective than intrinsic motivators and recognition often make people happier, but not more engaged. By focusing solely on achievements, leaders miss out a chance to do something really different.

Appreciation is on Who They Are

The more watts a light bulb can take, the brighter it shines. Keep the power switch on and the light keeps on shining.

Appreciation is as such a long-term strategy, it involves continuous steps to build a strong foundation where an employee feels valued and respected. It is about supporting them within the organisation. While recognition is on positive results and great performance, appreciation speaks about a different thing.

Suppose Harry was an intern and he started working on a new project with his colleagues that his manager tasked him to. One night, when Harry was in the office with his colleagues four hours past his usual knock-off timing, his manager turned to him and said: “Thanks for staying late and building this together.”

The nuances are there: it is not about how much Harry had contributed or whether his contribution was significant. It was about his willingness to go beyond his working hours — in other words, the manager was appreciating his diligence.

One key to note is that while generally, studies have shown that appreciation and recognition are great, not everyone wants it. Not everyone has the same perspective and due to many external circumstances, it might backfire. For instance, a manager might think that giving public recognition to an employee during a meeting would be a great motivator for him.

Little did he know that the employee was mortified. Even though the gesture was positive in nature, he did not like public recognition.

By default, all of the employee appreciation tools have great potential to make a positive impact. However, without understanding what the employee values, leaders run the risk of not making an impact.

It takes more than just experimentation here. Leaders can also try to understand their employees through deeper conversations and respect their choices. It is very possible that there are employees who do not appreciate any sort of employee recognition.

Employee recognition and employee appreciation are great, but ultimately, they are part of a leader’s toolbox. The key is to always understand when and where to use them — that’s a hallmark trait of a top leader.

( This article is adopted from Andy Chan.)

Maggie Mzumara is a leadership, communication and media strategist as well as corporate trainer and coach who offers services to groups & individuals. She advocates women leadership and is founder of Success in Stilettos (SiS) Seminar Series, a leadership development platform for women. Contact her on maimzumara@yahoo.com or follow on Twitter @magsmzumara