recognize me plz!
Hiiii,
I’m back home and at my normal elevation. I never thought I would get altitude sickness but hey never say never. The worst part was the bloody nose & the altitude insomnia. After getting home I slept for 10 straight hours and am slowly returning to myself.
Which is a good thing because I have a PACKED week ahead of me!! I know you know what that’s like.
Here are some goodies to get you through the week:
📺 THIS WEEK I’m spilling all my tech demo secrets in HR Therapy. I’ve been burned by a shiny demo more times than I’m willing to admit so this session will cover what questions to ask and how to get to the bottom of what you actually want.
📺 December’s HR Therapy is also quickly approaching!! Is performance management dead? What will emerge from the performance management ashes? Join me and Jamie as we talk about the future of performance management.
🎧 This week on the pod is probably my *most vulnerable* episode ever. Yes, ever. I tried something completely new for this episode. I was joined by Mary Pat Jacobs, a coach, and we did a LIVE coaching session on the pod about something I’m actually struggling with. Then we talked about how coaching can help you uncover things about yourself that are showing up at work that you might not even realize. If you loved it or hated it, I want to hear why!
Nowwww, today’s topic!! One of my fave things that I think I don’t get enough of: recognition.
(I had to say it, my coworkers read this, come onnnn y’all)
Just kidding, but at some point every HR team feels like the unsung heroes and that adds up. There’s power to recognition so let's get to it.
CULTURE
The power of recognition:Copy anchor linkCopied
Recognition is one of the simplest, and often MOST misunderstood, tools we have in the workplace.
At its core, recognition is about acknowledging what someone has accomplished like the:
✅ Impact
✅ Results
✅ The behaviors that move the work forward.
It sounds like this: Your redesign of the onboarding process increased employee completion rates by 20%.
The key: work + impact
Appreciation, on the other hand, is about valuing who they are the:
✅ Effort
✅ Presence
✅ Human behind the work.
It sounds like this: I really appreciate how patient and thoughtful you were during that tough conversation.
The key: the person + effort.
Recognition and appreciation are not the same, although we sometimes use them interchangeably.
Spoiler alert: Workplaces NEED both.
When recognition and appreciation show up together, they can fuel motivation, strengthen engagement, and reinforce a sense of belonging.
TADA: recognition as an energy boost.
And not only is it an energy boost, it has an interesting effect on our brain’s reward system.
🧠 Recognition triggers the release of dopamine. Dopamine is the hormone that is responsible for pleasure and motivation. So when people get the acknowledgement for their work, they feel happy and they are more inclined to repeat what they’ve done.
Research from Gallup shows that employees who receive meaningful recognition are:
⬆️ 4X more likely to feel engaged
⬆️ 5X more likely to feel connected to culture
⬆️ 44% less likely to experience burnout
Humans are wired to want to be seen!!! So recognition can become THE strategy for your workplace.
Last week I was at Awardco’s RCGNZ Summit and the topic was recognition so I'm bringing you some of my major takeaways to help inform your strategy!
Takeaway 1: Trust is at an all time low Copy anchor linkCopied
I was SO PLEASED to see Minda Harts’ IRL for the first time! She’s been a guest on the pod 2X times and recently released a book on the seven languages of trust called Talk to Me Nice.
Her session dug into how trust in the workplace is the lowest it’s been in decades.
And fun fact: Gen Z has significantly lower trust of their orgs than other generations.
Employees are navigating uncertainty, rapid change, layoffs, the toughest market in years and years of accumulated workplace fatigue.
So yeah, trust is low.
She walked us through the 7 Languages of Trust, showing how trust isn’t rebuilt through grand gestures but through small, consistent signals. For reference the 7 languages are:
- Sensitivity
- Transparency
- Security
- Demonstration
- Feedback
- Acknowledgement
- Follow-through
Recognition came up again and again:
✅ Calling out the follow-through
✅ Acknowledging progress
✅ Naming effort
✅ Reinforcing aligned behavior
Spoiler alert: Employees will trust leaders who see them.
And I don’t mean ONLY when the work is perfect, but when things are in progress as well. So often people think recognition can only happen when things are completed and completed well.
But I challenge that!!
Recognition when things are in progress can be just as powerful. If your org is only recognizing when things are completed you have a HUGE opportunity on your hands!!
In a world where confidence in orgs is really shaky (rightfully so!!!), recognition can become a stabilizer.
Takeaway 2: Generations want it differently Copy anchor linkCopied
We have five generations working at the same time for the first time in history.
YAY unprecedented times!!
This is something no workplace in history has ever had to manage. It’s not just about age gaps, it’s about so much more. Like, different definitions of success, communication norms, and expectations for how work should feel.
And of course, in recognition:
🏆 Boomers may prefer formal recognition like awards, tenure moments, ceremonies.
🔒 Gen X often values autonomy and private praise.
👀 Millennials want continuous feedback and visible acknowledgment tied to growth.
✨ Gen Z wants immediacy, authenticity, and peer-to-peer shoutouts that feel real, not corporate-scripted.
Recognition is not one-size-fits-all.
📣If we’re designing systems that treat every generation the same, we’re designing systems that will fail someone.
HR’s job now becomes a tiny bit more complicated… because we have to build recognition models that are personalized, multi-channel, and responsive to how people actually want to be seen.
Where to get started: build “Recognition Preferences” into onboarding & manager 1:1s
To make recognition personalized, everyone should start by asking people directly. Yes, it's as simple as asking, but so many managers don't! So let’s change that by incorporating it into onboarding.
Here are 5 questions that you can add to a survey or into your onboarding docs:
- How do you like to be recognized? (public, private, peer-to-peer, manager-led).
- What feels meaningful to you? (verbal praise, written notes, shout-outs, growth opportunities).
- What not to do? (because everyone has a cringe trigger).
- What is your preferred channel to receive recognition? (Slack, email, team meeting, 1:1).
- What moments matter to you? (project milestones, progress updates, birthdays, anniversaries).
Make sure every manager knows the answer to the questions above for every single person on their team! If they don’t already know, ask them to add it to their next 1:1.
So much impact can be made by simply knowing the answer to those questions!!
Takeaway 3: Recognition needs to evolve Copy anchor linkCopied
.jpg)
HEY LOOK ITS ME ON STAGE!!
🎤 I moderated a session with Amy Butler and Gabriella Serrato about lessons we’ve learned while innovating on recognition.
The macro takeaway: traditional recognition programs weren’t built for today’s workforce.
Gone are the days of tenure plaques and once-a-year shoutouts.
Employees want recognition that’s immediate, intentional, and tied to their individual impact.
✨ Some other highlights ✨
Scaling:
✅ Gabbi shared how global programs work best when there’s a clear core structure but room for local customization. And Amy reminded us that as programs scale, companies tend to bury recognition under too much process. The best ones stay simple, human, and intuitive.
Managers:
✅ Managers are the accelerators: HR can design the system, but recognition sticks only when managers model it. It’s a leadership skill, not a personality trait and one of the most visible indicators of team health!!
Make recognition contagious:
✅ Things like recognition champions, peer-to-peer shoutouts built into existing rhythms, and rewards that feel meaningful and memorable, not generic.
Great creative:
✅ You can dream up new and interesting ways to do recognition! Amy shared an idea about an “Experience Week” where employees are given the chance to do something they’ve always wanted to do like traveling, learning or giving back to the community.
The bottom line: recognition needs to scale, but it also needs to stay personal, local, and fun. That’s where innovation starts…
So, what are you doing differently with recognition this next year?
What’s next:Copy anchor linkCopied
Gratitude is on the menu next week!
A short week for some but one that will hopefully be filled with gratitude and thanks.
If not, I'll make sure the newsletter will deliver that vibe. <333
(HUMAN) RESOURCES
- Airports to resume full schedules
- Forgotten 401ks are costing Americans millions
- The 40-hour workweek and how we got there
- Build smarter compensation strategies with this guide from Salary.com
WORK-LIFE BALANCE
- 📚 What I’m reading: People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry. This is a re-read before I get deeep into my holiday themed reads. I am excited to see this movie come out so I decided to give this a re-read. Book Lovers will remain my fave by Henry but I'll read anything she writes!
- 📺 What I’m watching: The Beast In Me. Umm I think i’ve watched almost everything Claire Danes has been in, including My So-Called Life (yes I own the boxset on DVD). So when this popped up on Netflix I WAS SAT. I love, love, love thrillers. Idk if its the HR in me but i’m dire to FIGURE IT OUT and figure it out I shall. Anyways, I binged the first 3 episodes and now I'm trying to slow myself down. If you have show recs that make you feel like this, please share!
- 🤠 What I’m obsessing over: Western wear. I got my first pair of cowboy boots, and it's been a downhill spiral since then. I’ve always loved the boho chic vibe and that shares similar vibes with western wear imo. If you need me I'm googling bolo ties and hats for the summer! Plz send me any recs.
SONG OF THE WEEK
Buckle, Florence + the MachineCopy anchor linkCopied
I keep singing: 'Cause I'm stupid and I'm damaged, and you're a disaster
That hook really got me into this song.
Fun fact: I’ve been a Florence fan forever and used to run to The Dog Days Are Over. I don’t run much anymore but still listen to Florence!
That's all for this week! I hope you enjoyed this, please let me know what you think and what other topics you'd love for me to cover. I'm allll ears.
Reminder: Take care of yourself and know that I support you.
