HBR Guide to Delivering Effective Feedback (HBR Guide Series)

Chapter 7

Recognize Good Work in a Meaningful Way

by Christina Bielaszka-DuVernay

Recognition gets great lip service. Ask three managers if they consider it important to recognize the value their teams deliver, and chances are very good that you’ll get three positive responses.

But probe a little bit, and you’ll discover that the walk is leagues away from the talk.

Manager 1 makes recognition a priority—when he has time to think about it. For Manager 2, recognizing her team means having sandwiches brought in once or twice a quarter for a conference room lunch. Manager 3 is fairly consistent in doling out praise and rewards—too consistent, in fact. The boilerplate language in his thank-you notes and the inevitable $25 gift certificate to a family-style ...