As we wrote yesterday, good leaders recognize team members who do quality work and make a significant contribution to team outcomes.
They make it a point to link the distinct contributions of team members to specific outcomes. Specificity in what is being recognized and how it contributed to discrete outcomes is much more motivational than generic expressions of work well done.
Leaders naturally single out those team members whose contributions stand out.
Those who take charge, operate with initiative, and drive assignments forward get the bulk of the praise and recognition from leaders. It only makes sense to focus on those out in front and who make things go.
But great leaders don’t forget about the team members who operate in the background.
They presume there are team members who create the foundation for success through their diligence, effort, and less flashy work products.
They understand that their contributions often go unnoticed or draw less praise and recognition than they should. Their talented colleagues seem to get all the press and attention.
So, they fix that.
Great leaders go out of their way to single out those behind the scenes or below the radar with a simple message: “We don’t get there without you.”
They remind people repeatedly and often about the valuable contribution they make.
They announce that they are an integral part of the team’s success. They pull them into the circle of recognition. They don’t allow them to watch from the outside.
This is even true for team members who are hurt, ill, or unable to be a part of the current moment.
Good leaders make them a part by including them in updates, planning sessions, and celebrations. They insist that those unable to engage are involved, if only in a small or symbolic way.
Everyone on the team counts.
Pulling team members who contribute less into the center of recognition and team success builds team morale, commitment, and engagement.
In the long run, leaders don’t sustain results unless the entire team is recognized for the contributions they make.
Leaders really can’t get anywhere special without them. It’s time to tell them.
