\n\tPeople from around the world in a variety of occupations all have an inherent need to feel appreciated for who they are and recognized for what they do. But what if we\u2019ve all been thinking of recognition the wrong way?<\/p>\n
\n\tTake, for example, the definition of recognition from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM): \u201cThe acknowledgement of human achievement made publicly or privately, and can involve a monetary or non-monetary reward.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tDoes it have to be an achievement or can it simply be good work done well? It\u2019s OK to respect the individual preferences for public or private recognition. However, does recognition always have to involve a reward?<\/p>\n
\n\tI believe you can give people recognition without having to give them a reward. But whenever you give someone a reward, recognition always must accompany it, and this often is neglected.<\/p>\n
\n\tPerhaps we have made recognition far too transactional.<\/p>\n
\n\tA LITTLE SCIENCE AROUND RECOGNITION<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tRecent brain-imaging studies using functional MRI scans reveal different regions of the brain respond to recognition and rewards. For example, they activate the caudate nucleus when receiving feedback through communication. The ventral striatum mediates reward cognition, reinforcement, and motivational saliency. And the medial prefrontal cortex, as the name implies, at the front of the brain, mediates personality expression and decision-making, and moderates social behavior.<\/p>\n \n\tResearchers have found that positive social feedback and relative social status, at work or in society, are represented in the same brain regions as monetary rewards. While the brain \u201clights up\u201d in response to higher payoffs in rewards, there is greater activity within the brain in response to more positive evaluations of the self. Being treated fairly by others also stimulates the same brain regions associated with rewards.<\/p>\n \n\tREDEFINING EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tEmployee recognition is not what you think it is. It is not just an acknowledgement of someone and his or her performance. It does not have to be a tangible or monetary reward or incentive. And recognition is not exactly feedback. So what is it?<\/p>\n \n\tWhat if we redefine recognition as transferring positive emotions and feelings from one person to another? How you convey those emotions is another matter. It may be through your words, your actions, or through things. But these are simply a vehicle to communicate and express your feelings for the person and his or her positive behaviors. Receiving recognition given the right way activates the brain and the emotional centers that cause a person to \u201cfeel\u201d recognized.<\/p>\n \n\tHOW TO GIVE REAL RECOGNITION<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tThere are many practices that lend themselves to giving more meaningful recognition to people every day. But here we will explore just three recognition practices that, if done the right way, will help you give real recognition wherever you work. These practices have a deeper rationale to connecting with people emotionally and making an imprint on the brain and mind.<\/p>\n \n\t1. Conveying emotion and recognition through voice.<\/strong> Our voice is the most powerful of recognition practices because it carries our positive emotions and perspective about a person and his or her actions. Hearing a more emotive voice is stronger than sight and facial expressions in accurately detecting emotion. We must use enthusiasm in our voice when recognizing employees\u2014this usually comes across with a slightly higher-pitched tone and a faster speaking rate. When two people are talking and understand one another, the listener\u2019s brain activity literally mirrors that of the speaker\u2019s voice with just a short delay.<\/p>\n \n\t2. Being specific, which gives more authentic recognition. <\/strong>We need to move away from using the trite and often used phrases of \u201cGood job!\u201d or \u201cWell done!\u201d In isolation, these typical statements mean little. Research on effective feedback shows it requires affective and objective comments.<\/p>\n \n\tLearn to be specific in two ways. First, part of your recognition needs to specifically describe the actions or positive behaviors observed or heard about. Second, you must tell the individual specifically the difference or impact his or her actions have made to you, peers, a customer, or to some business outcome for the company. Your recognition is more meaningful and authentic when you give it this way. And you\u2019ll trigger some of those reinforcement areas in the brain.<\/p>\n \n\t3. Adhering to the principle that real recognition is all in the eyes. <\/strong>The eyes have been described as \u201cthe windows of the soul.\u201d They are a great connecting force when giving recognition. Eye contact is gazing directly at another person\u2019s eyes, and mutual eye contact is when two people make eye contact simultaneously. We make eye contact approximately 75 percent of the time when listening and 41 percent of the time when speaking with our conversational partners. So, where culturally appropriate, use eye contact to help elevate the quality of the recognition you express to others. Russian writer Sholem Aleichem once wrote, \u201cWhen the heart is full, the eyes overflow.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tWHY RECOGNITION DONE WELL WORKS<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tHow does recognition done correctly, following these and other communication and social science principles, make such a difference to people?<\/p>\n \n\tIt\u2019s because people know when they\u2019ve been recognized properly, because they actually feel it. The recipient of recognition has synchrony with the giver\u2019s brain, according to brain imagery research. By being specific in two ways, the recognized employee knows exactly what the recognizer has appreciated, and he or she has greater meaning and engagement in his or her work. And the eyes will overflow with the positive feelings you have in valuing people and their contributions.<\/p>\n \n\tRoy Saunderson, MA, CRP, is author of \u201cGIVING the Real Recognition Way\u201d and Chief Learning Officer at Rideau Recognition Solutions. His consulting and learning skills focus on helping companies \u201cgive real recognition the right way wherever they are.\u201d For recognition insights, visit:\u00a0http:\/\/AuthenticRecognition.com. For more information, e-mail him at RoySaunderson@Rideau.com<\/a> or visit www.Rideau.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \n\tUnderstand the impact you make when you recognize people the right way for their positive contributions at work.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[25],"class_list":{"0":"post-11365","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-magazine","7":"tag-talent-tips","8":"magazine_issues-july-2019"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n