Gratitude and Acknowledgement—The Dynamic Duo

Over the last several months, I have been reflecting on work events and feedback that have had a significant impact on me and have remained motivating over time. There are more than a few, but those that have been the most meaningful have not required an increase in budget or time. These moments were not related to an increase (although all were appreciated!), nor were they tied to holiday parties, benefits, or other types of tangible rewards. Those that have had deep meaning for me have come in the form of gratitude and acknowledgement expressed by my supervisors and colleagues.

Early in my HR career, I was feeling a bit of an impostor and was unsure of my ability to contribute to a team that was far more tenured than me. My boss, the Senior Vice President of HR, asked me to complete a project that entailed gathering and documenting the current state and details of roughly 25 different vacation plans. I knew how to gather the data, but was feeling a bit insecure about how to best present it. I finally decided that the best method would be via a spreadsheet that allowed for a quick visual comparison of the current state. Hoping I’d done a good job, I brought it to my boss. He responded that it was exactly what he needed, and he went on to say that I had an unusual ability to take a great deal of data and mold it into a format that was concise and readily understood. I walked out of his office beaming! The impact of his making a statement beyond that my work met his expectations, but a mention of a specific skill made it a memorable day (as you can tell, I still remember it over 25 years later). That statement didn’t add to expenses but brought a level of engagement that lasted years. Talk about a return on investment!

MRA has a tradition of encouraging employees to "shout out" kudos to colleagues. These shout-outs, included in our monthly internal newsletter, provide a public forum to acknowledge great work, helpfulness, being a great collaborator, or any number of other positives to our coworkers. The number of submissions, thanking and praising coworkers, seems to grow monthly! We also have a practice of sending written messages of thanks or acknowledgement to colleagues. Although emails are a great way to communicate, the impact of writing a personal note cannot be diminished.

Finally, when was the last time your employees were acknowledged for a job well done? Whether that gratitude comes from a peer, a manager, or the CEO, many studies have shown that this type of recognition increases general well-being, resulting in happier, more engaged, more productive employees. The connection is clear—employees receiving recognition feel valued, appreciated, and that the work they perform positively impacts the organization.

Make a difference in an employee’s day—let them know you appreciate them, their work, and what they bring each day. It doesn’t cost a penny!