How To Use Recognition To Drive Performance

🚨 Want to keep your best people? Start recognizing them, or someone else will. High performers thrive on recognition, but getting it right is an art. A one-size-fits-all approach won’t cut it. Some people love the spotlight, while others prefer private acknowledgment. Knowing these preferences allows you to genuinely honor their contributions in ways that resonate. I’ve had team members who preferred a simple, private “thank you” over public praise. For them, a thoughtful note or a quick one-on-one meant more than a team-wide announcement. On the other hand, some teammates craved public recognition—it fueled their drive and encouraged them to keep pushing forward. By blending private and public praise, you affirm their value and boost morale in a way that truly sticks. EOY is the perfect time to reinforce this recognition. These conversations at year-end provide an opportunity to share with top performers where they've made a real difference. Let them know you see their hard work, not just to boost morale but to cement their loyalty, especially as recruiters start reaching out early in the new year. This is also a key moment to share concrete outcomes they’ve driven, so they understand that these top contributions are top of mind for you as you head into performance reviews season. Here are three ways to nurture your top talent: 🏆 Celebrate specific achievements — Go beyond “good job.” Recognize exact accomplishments and metrics that made an impact. Show them you value their tangible contributions. 🌱 Offer growth opportunities — High performers want to keep learning. Offer projects, responsibilities, or mentorships that challenge them and broaden their skills. 🚀 Build a clear pathway for advancement — Make sure they know there’s room to grow within the organization. A well-defined path helps retain talent, ensuring they feel valued and motivated to stay. Recognition isn’t about inflating egos—it’s about showing your team that their hard work matters. When top talent feels appreciated, they’re inspired to keep delivering excellence, pushing the entire organization forward. #Leadership #Clarity #HighPerformers #Growth If this resonates, follow Tapan Kamdar. 📌 Interested in growing as a leader? Get my free newsletter: https://lnkd.in/dRjtpxBA

A colleague had been coming to work every day for 7 years. Never missed a deadline or under-delivered. One day… he asked his manager for feedback on his contributions. The manager (minding their own business) said: "Oh, you're doing fine. Just keep doing what you're doing." You know what my colleague did? He quit the next day. Would I have advised him to do that? Probably not. Did he overreact? Absolutely not. You see… He had been receiving the same kind of answer for quite some time. So, even if his manager didn't know, he was already planning his ultimatum. And your team members might be planning theirs as well. Here's a stat that will blow your mind: According to a recent report from Gallup and Workhuman, employees who get meaningful recognition for their work are 45% less likely to leave their jobs. That's right. Proper recognition is the difference between retaining or losing your best talent. Here's what smart leaders understand about recognition at work: ✅ It drives professional development. ✅ It creates community and connection. ✅ It's a powerful antidote to stress and burnout. ✅ Recognition changes how people feel about their work. The data doesn't lie. Based on the same 2-year study, tracking 3,400 workers found something fascinating: → High-quality recognition = 45% higher retention. → Stronger sense of community among team members. → Lower stress levels reported by recognized employees. Here's what you can do today: 1. Create systems for consistent feedback. 2. Make recognition meaningful and specific. 3. Catch good behavior as it happens - don't wait. 4. Recognize people for who they are, not just what they do. Your people aren't just looking for a paycheck. They want to feel seen, valued, and appreciated. — P.S. Unlock 20 years' worth of leadership lessons sent straight to your inbox. Every Wednesday, I share exclusive insights and actionable tips in my newsletter. (Link in my bio to sign up). Remember, leaders succeed together.

During LinkedIn Live earlier this week, I shared my perspective that most leaders do a poor job offering meaningful recognition. I had this cartoon drawn to illustrate what I see as a major miss. Maybe it's not as bad as the cartoon, but not far off. At best, leaders aren't strategic about recognition. At worst, they miss the benefits altogether. Here's how to do it right and use recognition to drive results and change. Recognition is an underrated tool to drive performance. The ROI for leaders is exceptional because learning to use recognition strategically costs you nothing. Recognition can be used very effectively to create change, replicate success, and establish new behaviors across your organization. Here’s how: 1.    Spot the win. Acknowledge the specific behavior you observed, and the more details you include, the better. 2.    Link the act to the impact. Did it resolve a problem? Streamline a process? Hit the KPI? Make the connection from behavior to outcome. 3.    Make it personal. Express excitement, enthusiasm, gratitude, or satisfaction. Let them know what they did matters to you. 4.    Ask for an encore. It’s not just about praise. Get them (and others) to do it again. This is how behaviors to take hold and spread throughout an organization. When success happens, offer recognition, not as just a pat on the back but as a catalyst for the changes you want to see. #recognition #leadership #results #leadershipdevelopment #businessgrowth