25 Ways to Recognize People's Contributions

Acknowledge Your Employees

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Before you recognize someone stop and think about it for a minute. What competencies do you value? What attitudes do you look for? What results are you seeking? What were the critical factors in your success? How has this person demonstrated one or more of these things?

The brain teasers listed below are intended to get you thinking creatively about recognizing your employees in an authentic and specific way. Remember that the people you report to need recognition too!

  1. As I watched you handle that (customer, supplier, shareholder, etc.) today I was impressed by your ability to…
  2. You are an extremely valuable member of the team because…
  3. As I watched you lead the meeting today I realized how (smart, motivating, competent, fun, etc.) you are because…
  4. You bring the kind of attitude and work ethic to our firm that inspires me because…
  5. I see you running the (department, division, company, etc.) someday because…
  6. I knew you could do it because…
  7. You did a remarkable job because…
  8. I’m proud of you because…
  9. It’s clear that you are a quick study because…
  10. Thanks for being “on top of it,” I have a lot of confidence in you because…
  11. You have such a unique way of dealing with (people, details, technology, conflict, etc.) because…
  12. You bring the right ingredients to this (project, company, team, etc.) because…
  13. Thank you for speaking up it took a lot of courage to…
  14. Thank you. It was great to see you take responsibility for…
  15. I like the way you were thinking and acting like an owner when you…
  16. I admire your imagination and creativity because…
  17. It’s exciting to work with you because…
  18. I appreciated the way you listened so carefully before you…
  19. You mean a lot to this (department, division, company, etc.) because…
  20. I trust you because…
  21. I like the way you collaborated with….
  22. You make the rest of us laugh because…
  23. I respect you because…
  24. The best thing you did (in that meeting today, on that trip, on that proposal today, etc.) was…
  25. You have a special knack for.. For example…