Strategic Acknowledgement – Performance Management Technique

When we claim value, we create value – a win/win for the organization. There is great power in a group that notices it’s potential together and is committed to each other’s success. When members of a team discover their sense of purpose, you don’t have to ask them to do something; they call you to tell you what they’ve done. Goals are fueled by purpose. In our work we use processes that invite team members to be conscious and present in each moment so that they can deal positively with difficult issues and work beyond them to form lasting and active partnerships, generating a culture of acknowledgement.

Let’s take a look at what the Leader put into practice:
She noticed how hard people were working
She kept the vision in mind and took time to reflect on where it was aligned
She led from a sense of purpose and shared that with others
She was strategically encouraging, appreciative, and human in all interactions

Benefits of creating an organizational culture of acknowledgement and achievement, you ask? The teams I’ve worked with around a culture of acknowledgement notice an increased capacity for performance, a trust in collaboration, a consistent stream of referrals, a relaxation around each other, becoming ambassadors for their work places, and actively feed off of each other’s creativity and success. Indeed, clients who have taken this philosophy home report an increase in harmony in their families. Teams who are acknowledgement and achievement based choose to collaborate with potential rather than collude with issues. Their performance management techniques turn to coaching – a team approach, rather than being punitive. They look for and acknowledge the behaviour they want and any need to regulate behaviour decreases. Their staff becomes achievement oriented.

Try today to notice what someone is doing right and do it “strategically” with desired performance in mind. A typical “good job” can work well now and again, however giving specific praise that cultivates desired behaviour is more beneficial. A few our clients use in their organizations:
The professional tone of your email invites the professional in all.
You followed your instincts to cut in and be in the right place to catch the pass.
Having that report to me earlier allowed me to add my piece earlier and “wow” the client.
You organized our meeting in a way that the whole team engaged easily.
You asked the perfect extra questions in the interview process to reveal the perfect V.P.

We expect quite a lot of our leaders in today’s organizations. And now we are asking you to practice acknowledgement and appreciation of others. This may be a BFO (blinding flash of the obvious), however we heartily recommend that you begin this practice with yourself. Who is your community? Who is your emotional support (often not those you are supporting). Attending to your personal rejuvenation and recovery brings you back stronger for the rest of us.