Recognition Creates Rockstar Employees

How do you say ‘thank you?’

Whether you’re new to a leadership role, or you’ve been leading the band for some time now, there’s always room to show more appreciation for your team. Employees thrive when they are not only given feedback on what they can improve, but also recognized for what they’ve done well. 

Imagine a lead singer who always tells the guitarist when they’ve missed a note… but never compliments them for all the music they play perfectly. Truth be told, that guitarist will probably be gone halfway through the tour. 

In my last blog, I cited the recent Gallup report predicting the top 7 workplace challenges of 2025, and we discussed the first piece of number six on that list… Feedback and Recognition: Biggest Manager Blind Spots. 

Today, we’ll dive into how to recognize the good work your team members are doing. Guess what happens when you recognize the good… you get more of it! Recognition creates rockstar employees. 

What Will You Recognize

Think about recognition as positive reinforcement. When an employee exhibits a desired behavior, you reward them (we’ll talk specifics in a minute). So, what behaviors do you want to reinforce? 

Let’s look at some potential ideas:

1. Teamwork. If you encourage employees to work together (and you probably should), when you see someone lending a hand to a coworker in need, recognize them!
2. Excellent customer service. Without customers, you wouldn’t have a business. When an employee goes above and beyond caring for a customer, point it out!
3. Work-life balance. Didn’t expect to see this here, did you? If one of your core values is that employees should take care of their physical, mental, and emotional being, and maintain strong personal relationships, when they do… recognize them!
4. Positive attitude. Often times, there will be one or two people that are constantly spreading optimism and boosting team morale. Let them know you see and appreciate them. 
5. Leadership. Everyone in an organization has an opportunity to exhibit leadership traits, whether they have an official title or not. When you see someone leading (in a good way), use them as a shining example.

Depending on your organization and your core values, you may choose to recognize a number of behaviors. You may want to discuss possibilities with your management team and then roll out these “Rewardable Behaviors” to your entire organization. 

How Will You Recognize

Before we go any further, let’s revisit a point from my last blog… not everyone likes public recognition. You likely have some introverts on your team who would consider public acknowledgment more of a punishment than a prize. Identify these people and avoid highlighting their contributions in a public forum. 

With that said, how can you recognize a job well done?

• Personalized thank you. Write a note, have a private conversation, and let your employee know that they are doing an amazing job and you appreciation them.

• Monetary Rewards. I have one client who gives every employee a gift card when they start working with him. Whenever they do something noteworthy, he loads a monetary reward onto their card.

• Time off. Most employees would LOVE to have an afternoon or a day to go out and enjoy life. Consider giving time off, late starts, or extra vacation days.

• Gifts or Incentives. There are a number of companies who offer reward catalogs that employees can pick from when they’ve done something particularly well or reached a BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal).    

• Public Acknowledgment. If your employee would enjoy this, give them a shout out during a team meeting or mention them in the newsletter. You can also include them in external communications that reach customers. 

• Professional Development Opportunities. Many employees are eager to learn, grow, and improve themselves both personally and professionally. Offer workshops, courses, or training for employees who are doing well and want to do even better. You can also pair them with a mentor or coach for one-on-one attention.

• Promote them. When an employee consistently exhibits desired behaviors, recognize them with a job promotion. Please note: a title change with more work and no increase in salary is not a promotion, it’s taking advantage of a hard worker. Show your employees you value them and pony up a higher paycheck. 

This is just a small list of ways to recognize your employee. The possibilities are truly endless. Get to know your employees and determine how they want to be recognized.

Conclusion

As we step into 2025, let’s commit to turning up recognition in our organizations and showing employees how much we value their contributions. You just might find that next year, there’s even more to celebrate! 

"A band is about chemistry. Recognizing and respecting what each member contributes is what keeps it dynamic and alive." – Jimmy Page, Led Zeppelin 

To learn more about rockstar leadership, visit https://marvellessmark.com/.