How are you seeing those you lead?
I have been on the job search for a higher graded position for well over a year. It has been an encouraging, humbling and, yes, frustrating process. The other day I ran into my agency's top person, the Administrator. He stopped me and checked in, knowing I am in job search mode. Over the course of the conversation, he shared an invaluable gift. He shared acknowledgement of what he appreciated about me in a way that emphasized the very things I value most about my work. In a word, he saw me.
I cannot overstate what this did for me. It wasn’t some superficial “Hey, you are awesome, keep your chin up” praise. It was profound, a this is what you bring to the team because these are your core values that set you apart. And coming from a person way above my pay grade, it meant even more. No, it didn’t come with a guaranteed promotion, nor did it come with a cash award. Nonetheless, hitting at the core of who I see when I look in the mirror may have done more for me than either of those. Balderdash you say. Maybe. However, there are studies out there, highlighted in leadership expert Tanveer Naseer’s excellent book “Leadership Vertigo” that support this statement. In the book, he cites multiple studies where employees expressed that meaningful acknowledgement, trust and opportunities for increased leadership held more meaningful value than cash awards or promotions.
What? This makes no sense as who would not want more in their paycheck?
Many of us bring our whole selves into our work. Good leaders recognize and encourage this. As a result, when we are encouraged to bring our whole selves and are seen for who we are, it brings us a sense of pride and belonging. Think about how powerful it would mean to you where 40 hours a week you are in a place that truly values you for who you are, your uniqueness and your contributions. It’s a place you would work hard for and feel loyalty towards. Places that don’t do this have low morale, poor productivity and are not a place you want to work for.
As a leader, you are a steward of those you lead. One key skill in that stewardship is how you see people, which stems from how well you acknowledge your individuals and team. In coaching, acknowledgment is a key component of the closing out of a coaching conversation. Done right, it is incredibly empowering and builds up your client. Done poorly, it can be superficial and take the focus away from the client. Furthermore, acknowledgement is different from praise. Anyone can praise. Acknowledgement is a skill that takes time and practice to develop. Acknowledgement comes from listening and observing at a higher level of your staff member/client/family member etc. It is based on your ability to truly know what their strengths are, their values and what can hold them back then making a conscious effort to connect how their strengths and values align in their actions. While this sounds incredibly complicated, here are some tips to get started.
Find opportunities, if you have not yet done so, to build trust between you and your staff. If there is no trust, any effort you make towards delivering acknowledgement may fall flat.
With a strong base of trust built, start “seeing” your staff. Go beyond the superficial interactions. While you don’t have to be BFF’s with your team members, you can get to know them through meaningful conversations, observations of their work, talking with their supervisors, etc. Take an interest in who they are.
Take mental or physical notes of when successes happen and what it took for them to happen. Let go of your personal contribution and see what those around you have done to make it happen. Look for what creative/diverse efforts it took to get that success and how does that align with what you know of that person.
Use these observations to make a meaningful comment to your staff either individually or as a group. Put yourself out there and try, it will feel awkward at first, but if you are making the attempt, your staff will show you grace. For example- if the team worked extra hours to get a project done on time, praise would be “Great effort, I am so proud of how hard you worked” Yes, they will be happy with that, but contrast it with this acknowledgement: “You are someone who takes pride in putting in hard effort and delivering quality products on time. This project you just completed demonstrated that you are willing to go above and beyond to deliver results. How are you going to celebrate the completion of this project?” Can you spot the difference?
Practice, practice, practice. The more you take this approach, the easier it will be. Do you think you need more work? This is a great opportunity to work with a coach to take a deeper dive in how you are leading and empowering your teams.
Seeing your staff for who they are and what they bring individually is fundamental to building a strong, empowered and high performing team. You, as their leader, through thoughtful acknowledgement can build their confidence and help them feel valued members of your team. Seek out those moments to deliver quality acknowledgement and your team will respond.
