Talent Goes to Where Talent Feels Valued
Taylor was working extremely hard to successfully roll out a departmental initiative. She was leading the team meetings, was ensuring the schedule was being followed, and frankly, felt that she was carrying the team on this one. In fact, while she was focused on creating a great outcome for their department and their customers, one of her co-workers seemed more intent on overseeing his hockey pool.
Despite her efforts, she wasn’t being recognized by the Director. Not that she was looking for recognition, but at least an acknowledgement for all that she was doing would be appreciated. Between her co-workers’ lack of investment, and her boss’s blind eye, she was feeling a little despondent. Despite this, she carried on, fully believing in what they were doing, and knowing that it would be well received by their customers.
Shortly after a very successful launch, she got to work early (as she often did) and saw an envelope on her desk with her name on it. As she sat down, she opened it and there was a card, with a handwritten note of appreciation from her boss. A congratulations on a successful project, and a sincere thank you for all the work that she put in. Taylor felt good – her boss had noticed her efforts after all. He saw what she contributed and recognized her for it!
As she sat feeling good for a moment, something in the back of her head suggested something wasn’t right. Her boss wasn’t typically one to ‘see’ individuals. She slowly stood up and looked around her coworkers’ empty workstations. At the first, second and third, she saw what she suspected – an envelope with each coworker’s name on it. Even for Nathen who spent a lot of the project hours scouring hockey stats for his next fantasy team pic. She sat back down, more discouraged than before.
This true story highlights the perils of team recognition. While there is a time and a place for it, too often it does the opposite of what we should be striving for. To recognize all members equally, means that we are under-recognizing our top performers (Taylor) and over-recognizing our bottom performers (Nathen). Certainly not a great leadership strategy.
As I often say, “Talent goes to where it feels most valued”. If you have great talent on your team, make sure they know you feel that way.
Individualized and Transparent
Some leaders might think “what if calling out 1 or 2 people upsets others on the team?” Others struggle to acknowledge specific individuals because they fear being accused of favouritism. Here is where your recognition needs to be specific and transparent. It’s not about the individual; it’s about their approach and the outcome. Describe what outstanding looks like through their story. This way not only does your top performer feel valued, but everyone else knows the benchmark for excellence.
Leadership isn’t about avoiding discomfort; it’s about setting the bar high. When recognition is earned and meaningful, your best people stay engaged, and your team knows exactly what ‘outstanding’ looks like. It’s about fully engaging all that Taylor brings to the team while setting a standard that can guide the growth of others.