Have you ever been cooking something, tasted it, and thought, “It’s fine, but something’s missing?”
Then you add a little salt, taste it again, and suddenly all the flavors come through.
It wasn’t that the meal was bad before. It was just missing one small ingredient that made everything else better.
(Of course, this only works when you add the right ingredient. I once accidentally put half a cup of salt into muffins instead of half a cup of sugar. Needless to say, there was no saving those!)
We often we do the same thing when recognizing people.
We say:
“Good job!”
“Thanks for all your hard work.”
“You saved me on this one”
And when those comments are authentic, they absolutely make a difference.
But there’s often one small ingredient we leave out that could make that recognition so much more meaningful and impactful.
Here’s the thing:
What gets recognized gets repeated.
Research from Achievers found that 92% of employees said they’re more likely to repeat an action in the future when they’re recognized for it. But people can’t repeat “good job” if they don’t know what the good job was.
“Good job!”
Good job on what?
“Thanks for all your hard work.”
What hard work? I do the same thing every day!
“You saved me on this one.”
How did I save you?
That’s why the 15 seconds we often leave out can be the most important part.
The three ingredients of great recognition
When I train people in my Art of Recognition Program, I teach six different levels of recognition. Level Two is all about clarity. It’s about developing the habit of investing 15-30 additional seconds more to include the key ingredients that exponentially improve the impact of your recognition
The What: What they specifically did whether it was an action, attitude, or behavior that you observed and appreciated?
Maybe they stepped in to help someone. Maybe they gave you feedback you needed to hear. Maybe it was the creativity they brought to their work.
The Why: Why did you appreciate it?
This is often the missing line.
“Thank you for pulling me aside and giving me feedback about how my message came across. I know it’s not always easy to speak up, and you helped me see a blind spot I didn’t realize was there.”
The Impact: What difference did their action make?
“Because you spoke up, I was able to change how I approached the conversation with the team. It helped me communicate more clearly and prevented some unnecessary frustration.”
Now they don’t just know that you appreciated them. They know what they did, why it mattered, and the difference it made.
While this may seem like a lot of additional effort, once you get in the habit of it, it takes seconds. Most importantly, the leaders who get this (And practice it) understand that this is how they create positive reinforcement loops to get more of the behaviors that matter most for their team’s performance and their organization’s culture. These small 15-second investments are what embed the behaviors at work and at home that shift cultures and relationships.
What does this sound like in real life?
So the next time you see somebody do something you appreciate, which I hope you see every day, instead of just saying “thank you,” invest 15 seconds more to share what you appreciate, why you appreciate it, and the impact it has.
Here are three examples of what that could look like:
A coworker who checks before adding something to your plate
WHAT: “I may not say it, but I really appreciate that you always check in on how I’m doing and what’s on my plate before asking for something else.”
WHY: “I really appreciate that you don’t just assume I have the capacity to take something on.”
IMPACT: “It allows me to be honest about what’s on my plate and for us to identify what the real priorities are and how we’re going to get them done together. Thank you.”
Your kid takes out the trash without being asked (We all can dream, right)
WHAT: “Thanks for taking out the trash without me asking.”
WHY: “I’ve got a lot going on at work right now, and I really appreciate you stepping up, noticing it needs to get done, and just doing it.
IMPACT: “It really made a difference for me today thank you.”
A leader who respects your work boundaries
WHAT: “I’ve noticed that since we talked about trying not to work outside of work hours, you haven’t been sending emails late at night anymore.”
WHY: “I really appreciate that you took that feedback to heart and have been more conscious about those boundaries.”
IMPACT: “I struggle to disconnect from work and not check my email, and when I’m not getting messages, it really helps me be more present with my family. Thank you. I appreciate that.”
Now, I want to be clear. There are times when you’re just going to say thank you, and I really appreciate that. If you start practicing this regularly and adding that level of clarity about what, why, and impact, you’ll notice over time that it’ll start to get easier. Even more so, you’ll start thinking of what the person did specifically, why you appreciate it, and the impact. It will just start rolling off your tongue, and you may just notice people start doing those things that you recognize a whole lot more.
Because what gets recognized gets repeated.
Do you want to explore helping your leaders develop the amplifier skill of day-to-day appreciation and recognition? Reach out here today.
