Employee engagement is critical to the success of a team and the organization they belong to. While it may be difficult, it is possible for a team to be successful with a bad manager. However, it is nearly impossible for a manager to succeed if she doesn’t have the support of her team. The quickest way for a manager to engage employees and gain the buy-in necessary for everyone to succeed is through the use of praise and appreciation.  

 

There are many different methods for giving praise and recognition. However, there are three methods in particular that I have had tremendous success with throughout my career. Unfortunately, I don’t remember if or where I picked up these methods. I would love to give the right folks credit, so if you know who developed these ideas, please let me know so I can properly acknowledge them.

 

The Praise Triangle 

Oftentimes when you praise a co-worker it can feel like you are sucking up. One way to get around this is to talk about co-workers behind their back—in a positive sense, of course. When you hear one co-worker saying something positive about another co-worker, pass on the praise to the deserving co-worker.  

 

In this way, everyone wins. You don’t look like you are sucking up because you are passing along what someone else said. The person who made the comment wins because now they have won favor for talking behind someone else’s back in a positive way. Most of all, the co-worker who earned the praise feels great because they have been appreciated by two people.

 

The Traveling Trophy 

Choose a behavior or skill you want to reinforce on your team. Examples could include teamwork, customer service or innovation. At a team meeting, award a trophy that is symbolic of the meaning of the award. Explain what the employee did to earn the award. Let the employee know they will be responsible for awarding the trophy to the next employee who has earned it in their eyes. This is effective because it takes the power of praise and recognition and puts in the hands of the employees.

 

From the Top Down 

Typically, the higher the level of management you reach, the more problems you will face. It can become exhausting to hear only bad news all the time. When you have an employee that is doing an outstanding job, pass the news on to your supervisor, and to higher levels than that if possible. Ask that supervisor to thank your employee for doing a great job. This exercise will have significant meaning for the supervisor, and especially the employee. 

 

There is no perfect way to praise employees. It can be different for each employer, each employee and each supervisor. To give yourself the greatest chance for success, make praise and appreciation a regular part of your conversations using these techniques, or any other method you think can help your team feel the love!