Simplify & scale your method to fair praise
“People work for money but go the extra mile for recognition, praise, and rewards." - Dale Carnegie
Hey folks, Our work environments are transforming! With more workers becoming aware of and valuing work-life balance and recognition.
Gen Z workers and younger millennials (1989 or later) are 73% more likely to seek recognition at least several times a month. (Gallup, 2022)
Another report suggests
The majority (28%) receive the most memorable recognition from their manager. (Gallup, 2024)
As leaders, you know that “praise” is crucial to motivate your people and make them a part of your missions and vision. But fair appreciation is difficult.
So, what exactly should you do to make your praise authentic, fair and scalable? Firstly, assess your current recognition culture with the following assessment.
Resource: View the anonymous survey
After the survey, identify and act on the lowest scoring factors first.
Combine the "actionable insights" from this survey and with the method below to start recognizing them better.
7 steps to give equal praise with a scalable and easy framework
Usually, it’s not easy to measure the impact of a team’s work on the business.
Before using Objectives and Key Results, our busy leaders faced a similar problem.
In the last 2 years, we found it easy to admire a person in our weekly meetings and on the central platform we use.
Step 1: Use a scalable system An internal platform allows quick team shout-outs and peer-to-peer recognition.
Thanks to notifications, team dashboards, and updates, you can also make it specific.
Step 2: Use transparent criteria to praise Say you align recognition criteria with OKRs.
Progress then becomes public and fair. You cannot avoid distinct progress numbers on the screen.
Step 3: Align recognition with business value When you track progress on business-aligned goals (OKRs), you naturally base your praise on the impact on the company's success. Now, this is motivating!
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Step 4: Be regular in appreciation Utilize weekly check-ins (a habit with OKRs) or informal chats about your goals to acknowledge achievements and celebrate progress.
Step 5: Specific = Authentic Highlight specific behaviors, skills, or decisions. Personalize your praise by tailoring it to the individual's strengths and preferred recognition style (you ask it).
Step 6: Recognize initiatives and soft skills Acknowledge proactive problem-solving, creativity, taking ownership, and going the extra mile (all three are encouraged with OKRs).
Step 7: Measure the impact of recognition Do you see improvement after these initiatives? Take a survey and people's feedback, and analyze their performance on goals (post these steps).
Note: You can simplify goal-setting and execution with OKRs (we have enough proof). But to realize their potential, you must test them (start with a pilot program).
Fair recognition is a by-product of committing to the OKR methodology. We bet on it because it's our business (so take a shot with JOP!).
Here is a STORY of how Apartment Therapy uses WIN meetings to recognize its people.
Podcast - Amit Jain (a serial entrepreneur) shares his journey
Learn about the professional and personal journey of Amit Jain, from his corporate job to building several successful businesses.
He now helps startups scale strategically and financially through an Accelerator program.
Welcoming the People's Expert and the OKR Coach Shreekrishna
Many teams use OKRs but struggle to bridge the gap between HR initiatives and business objectives. That's where our new partner and OKR Coach, Shreekrishna Joshi, comes in!
A seasoned HR professional who understands the unique challenges and opportunities of the People department.
Did you know? We help teams set meaningful business goals to improve their engagement and performance.
If you want to create goals that matter to people and the business, talk to our OKR and Strategy Execution Experts.