Immediacy of recognition is important. I couldn’t agree more with the sentiments in Chapter 24.

I don’t even know if I would call these “rewards” but rather, necessary actions a leader needs to take to promote a positive work environment, strong team culture, and an environment where employees know their time is appreciated. I know I am much better at this with my supervisors than with the rest of my staff and it’s unfortunate that when we get busier, we tend to forget about the recognition piece. Acknowledging something you saw someone do can brighten their day. Recognizing someone’s hard work in the department meeting in front of their peers can empower staff even more than their token award of the end of an assignment. Sometimes those awards feel automatic. It’s taking that extra step and verbalizing appreciation that really can bring joy in work.

We had a conversation this morning about “burn out”. People expressed being tired, dissatisfied, stressed, frustrated with work. It’s utter physical and emotional exhaustion. They feel “burnt out.” Very rarely is burnout caused by the actual workload. It’s a variety of other factors: work-life imbalance, unclear job expectations, lack of control, and lack of social support. Many of these things can be mitigated by a boss’ behavior towards their staff. I believe recognition is a big component of this. Acknowledge the hard work your staff is doing, recognize them for it, and ensure you’re giving them a reprieve where possible. Remember your people are PEOPLE and not vehicles to help you achieve mission success.