This team-building technique has the most impact, according to the Chief Revenue Officer at Verizon Business

From the sudden shift to remote working to the operational balancing act that followed, the past year or so has not been short of organizational challenges. 

In just several months, the disruption created by COVID-19 presented employers with a lifetime’s worth of hurdles, and leaders have been tested in ways many would have never imagined. I am the first to admit that navigating this period has taught me a lot: 

1. I have been reminded that empathy in business is a strength, not a weakness. 
2. I have learned that flexibility is no longer an advantage, but a necessity.
3. And I have concluded that our capacity to grow is hindered only by our willingness to do so. 
4. More than anything, I have come to appreciate the true value of recognition, and the transformational impact it can have on an organization’s culture. 

So, what is recognition, and how does it manifest itself in the modern workplace? Let’s start by first defining it. Recognition in the workplace can be described as the act of appreciating or acknowledging an achievement or accomplishment by a colleague. It is — in its purest form — the act of recognizing the value that someone has brought to your organization. 

Why is recognition important?

First, it has been proven that the more recognition and gratitude there is in an organization, the better it performs¹. Comprehensive recognition programs improve a business’s ability to retain talent, and can have a transformative impact on improving employee morale.

When you look at the statistics, it’s no surprise that creating this sense of shared success is the endgame for most leaders. If a team is happy, working with purpose and buying into the “mission,” they work harder and outperform their disenfranchised industry peers. 

Over the course of my career, I’ve been fortunate to work under some truly fantastic leaders, and they all had one thing in common; they made empowering their employees, and recognizing their efforts, a priority across their respective organizations. 

An example of recognition from my early years and now at Verizon

I’ll give you a personal example. When I was starting out my career, one of my managers sent me a personalized thank-you note to recognize some extra work I was doing to ensure a project was completed on time. I wasn’t expecting it, but his appreciation, and that single act of recognition, provided me with a genuine sense of value. It was almost like — from that moment on — I felt like I belonged in that team. 

It is that transformational power — and the ability to lift those around you through a simple act — that I try to instil in my own team. 

At Verizon, building an inclusive culture, where genuine recognition is instilled throughout the business, is central to the leadership team’s strategy. 

Since arriving at the company several years ago, I have witnessed a comprehensive organizational effort to improve recognition programs for our employees across the business and build better platforms so that their peers can fully recognize the outstanding work they do every day.

Most recently at Verizon, I helped to institute Global Recognition Day for our team members because I want to ensure celebrating our successes is steeped into our culture. None of us truly forget when we’re praised or given accolades.

In an era that will be defined by the impact people made on the world around them, I am proud to work for an organization that puts recognition at the heart of everything it does.

Sampath Sowmyanarayan is the Chief Revenue Officer at Verizon Business.