Why are your Acknowledgements falling Short?
Why are your Acknowledgements falling Short?
When you give acknowledgments, add impact by being specific, identifying the challenges they overcame, explaining the impact on you, and sharing the future that is now possible.
Insight: In the last article, we talked about the importance of being specific, but a truly impactful appreciation goes deeper.
A construction foreman at one of our clients was facing a dilemma. His team was laying 12-inch pipe, but the rocky, uneven terrain was putting the project over budget. The foreman thought of an innovative solution and convinced his crew to try it.
It was a success. After the project, the superintendent acknowledged the foreman:
"I really appreciated your creativity in developing the new process. I know that you struggled in meeting the budget, and you had to manage the crew's resistance to changing the process. Just knowing that you are looking out for ways to make our processes better allows me to focus on getting new clients rather than always being on site. I think the new process can be used on other projects and could play a big role in helping our company compete."
This acknowledgment was effective because the superintendent took the time to give with depth. The foreman felt deeply appreciated and was inspired to continue to innovate.
Key Action: When you give acknowledgments, add impact by being specific, identifying the challenges they overcame, explaining the impact on you, and sharing the future that is now possible.
It's easy to gloss over appreciations, but if you take the time to give with depth, the appreciation will be much more deeply felt. Frequent acknowledgments create a background of appreciation, which builds partnership and makes it much easier to manage constructive criticism.
To make your acknowledgments impactful, share at least two of the following:
Specifics: What specific actions did the person do that you appreciated?
Circumstances: What challenge did the person overcome to succeed?
Impact on You: What impact did the person or the success have on you?
Future: What future is now possible for the project, the team, or the company?
When people put in hard work and are successful, they want to be appreciated. Are you putting in your "hard work" and taking the time as a manager or a teammate to acknowledge them? By acknowledging with depth, you may find that people will expand on what is working well and perform at even higher levels.
