The importance of acknowledgement

 Sep 29, 2016

I had a lady in a seminar I was conducting on management ask me “Tim are you saying that we should give our people positive feedback even if they are just making the standard?”

My reply was, “Yes, that’s what I’m saying.”

“Won’t that just encourage mediocrity?” she responded puzzled.

“Not if the standards are set at an appropriate level. Human beings need more than just their pay cheques. They like to be acknowledged and praised for doing the right things. We tend to give time to those who are doing the wrong things and praise to those who are going above and beyond. Yet, we often abandon the mass in the middle who do what is expected because we think, that is what they are getting paid for.”

***

Have you ever walked into a shop to have the attendants completely ignore you, while they finish their conversation?

Have you ever waited on the end of a phone listening to music you don’t like not knowing where you are in the queue and how long you will be waiting?

Have you ever done something for someone else or taken initiative to fix something and had no recognition?

All of these scenarios demonstrate a lack of an important human need; to feel valued.

And one of the simplest ways we can do that is through acknowledgement.

According to Hertzberg, solving people’s dissatisfaction, for example, not being paid enough or fixing a poor system, does not equate to them being satisfied. Elements that create satisfaction are different and one of those is recognition… and that does not simply mean being paid!

It might be an expression of gratitude or appreciation. It might be keeping someone up to date on how long they may have to wait. It could simply be a warm welcome. Acknowledging: people exist, they have feelings, they have met expectations or, are doing us a favour by giving us their business (to name a few), is an important part of meeting human needs.

It only takes a little effort to do and yet it can reap great dividends!

For more information, check out our Professional Development courses.

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About the Author:

Tim Higgs  

Tim has been involved in the corporate training industry for over 15 years; seven of these have been as the Portfolio Manager and Senior Facilitator at New Horizons. Tim holds a Graduate Diploma (Psych/Couns), a masters’ degree in Cultural Psychology and a bachelor’s degree in Business, giving him a unique theoretical backdrop for understanding human performance in the workplace. This complements his actual experience of working within the corporate sector in sales and management positions and owning and running a small business. Having worked with individuals and groups in both clinical and business settings, Tim has a fantastic insight into human behaviour, motivation and the issue of human change.

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