How To Become An Amazing Observer for Better Recognition

What do you see or notice about your peers, or direct reports that merits acknowledgment and recognition? Are you even aware of what your colleague works on right now that makes them proud? Why are they excited to come to work each day? 

To learn the answers to these questions, you need to have excellent observation skills. You need to become an amazing observer of people and the great things going on all around you. 

Check out a few of the ways you can use to develop amazing observation abilities.

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Tell Me Something New You Have Learned About Giving Recognition

One of the great lessons you can learn as a recognition leader is finding out what other people have learned themselves after recognizing others. 

You can gain this through a self-reflection exercise after employees have learned how to give recognition. Have them write notes in a journal or record them online. Teach employees how to give memorable and meaningful recognition. Then they need to put those skills into practice back at on the job. Follow up with them a month later. You find out how they did and what they discovered.

Ask learners what they achieved with their recognition goal. Ask them to relay exactly what they learned from doing the exercise, too. 

Here are some insights gleaned from some of these self-reflective ponderings I have collected. 

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Top 5 Essential Recognition Skills for Leaders

You’ll find plenty of positive recognition practices to become a great recognizer in the many posts in this blog, or within chapters in my book Practicing Recognition, that will help you and the leaders in your organization.

Yet those of you who lead your recognition programs and strive to encourage your leaders to be exemplary recognition givers, influencing leaders to do this important skill can be tough. 

I wanted to dig deeper and draw upon the essential skills that leaders need to develop. What might you coach your leaders on that would help them catch the vision? 

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Teaching People How To Give Amazing Recognition Takes Time

Is recognition easy to learn? Not necessarily. 

For some people expressing appreciation and recognizing peers comes naturally. But there are a few people where telling others positive things about their actions is both awkward and an uncomfortable experience. 

Teaching your employees how to give meaningful and effective recognition might take a longer time for some of your staff.

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How to Become a Sherlock Holmes of Employee Motivation

Finding out what motivates your employees can be a fun activity to pursue besides the one-on-one meetings you may have with your employees.

When you can find out people’s interest and what is meaningful to employees without them really knowing then your recognition actions take on an extra value of respect and appreciation.

To discover the personal motivators of those you manage and work with you must become like Sherlock Holmes. (more…)