Present.
Nothing says "you don't matter" more than answering a call or texting while you are with someone else. It is like being on a date while your date checks out the other candidates passing by! Be present for the people you are with. Sometimes, you may need to switch off your mobile phone or put it away. If you must take a call, apologise, and explain why and make it quick. It is just good manners.
Acknowledge Everyone
Remember that we are all part and parcel of the human race and deserve equal recognition. Whether you are famous or not, black or white, male or female, child or adult, everybody should be valued equally as a human being. You don’t know where life will take you, so it is important to respect anyone you come in contact with. You never know, that restaurant attendant you walked past, or that homeless person you refused to help could one day be someone you will want to do business with.
Say "hello".
Saying "hello" to someone is more than a mere greeting. It is an opportunity to show appreciation for being in the company of an individual.
Ask how they are doing.
There is no better icebreaker than asking how someone is doing. Inquire about a project they have been working on. Or you can ask how their family is doing. This shows your acknowledgement of them and the value you place on them as a person. When you ask an individual about their family, it shows your interest in the whole person. And like listening, it is a language of caring, which makes people feel like they matter, which affects performance and motivation in simple but effective ways.
Remember their name
If you don't know someone's name, feel free to ask; then memorise it. This can be challenging if you only see the person occasionally or have trouble remembering names. But it speaks volumes if you can meet a stranger one day and greet them by their name the next time you come across them. It also makes you more memorable.
Listen
Social scientists have said that listening is the language of love. When someone listens to you, whether it is an idea you are sharing or a project challenge you are working on, it is supportive if you have someone witness what you are going through. So, put away your mobile phone and any other form of distraction and just listen and be there for that individual that is talking to you.
Provide opportunity.
If you are leading a team, give training, education or work challenges that can stretch your team members to learn and grow. If you are not the mentor type, make sure everyone has access to the resources or people they need to keep developing their skills. Nurture a career path they are excited about. Be an advocate for everyone who is doing their best work in a job they love.
Focus on what they are doing right.
Did you see a friend or co-worker do something remarkable? I hope you let them know what an excellent job they did! Do not be afraid to speak up to let them know how good they are. Let your partner know how hard they are working or how your co-workers rocked a presentation. You can even tell yourself how great you are doing! Acknowledgement is a way of saying, "I see your greatness!"
Shine a light on someone's being
Praise is an excellent way to let people know you acknowledge them. Show people around you that you are a listening person. Attach something specific to your praise. So, instead of saying "that was great", say something like, "I liked how you stayed with the comments you got on your presentation. You gave everyone the time they needed in that meeting".
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT IN LEADERSHIP
A leader's primary responsibility is to develop people to achieve desired results. What this means is that developing people is always work-in-progress. One of the best ways of bringing the best out of people is through leveraging the power of acknowledgement.
Everyone likes to be acknowledged or appreciated. Acknowledgement is tied to human’s need to belong. Therefore, the acknowledgement of other people is a very powerful way of meeting that psychological need. Leaders who make acknowledgement an integral part of their leadership style always stand out as a leader worth following.
Below are the ways acknowledgement of people can make you a better leader:
You will create a safe environment.
When team members feel safe, they will be relaxed and comfortable. This means they are more likely to share ideas and offer suggestions for improvement, which will result in a better performing team.
You will instil confidence in your team.
High levels of confidence will lead to greater creativity, innovation and willingness to take risks. It will also help improve the level of commitment team members have for their roles and their team.
You will foster a healthy team culture.
Acknowledgement and praise generate positive results within the team. This leads to a better attitude among team members, which means there will be a higher level of collaboration. It will also help improve team performance.
You will encourage openness within your team.
If a leader gives acknowledgement when team members perform well, they will find it easier to keep others accountable. They will challenge team members to perform at their best and encourage them to hold all team members responsible.
You will build stronger relationships.
Leadership is all about relationship and developing people. Acknowledging others means a leader is seeing what is good in other people. And since people have different communication preferences, a leader will also improve their communication skills.
Everyone is waiting to be appreciated or acknowledged in one way or the other. A simple and genuine acknowledgement can make a big difference in a person’s self-confidence and self-esteem.
Acknowledging people is a skill that everyone can learn. The more you practise acknowledgement, the more you will believe in the people you are acknowledging. It will also make you feel better about yourself. Look around you, and you will see people from all walks of life who crave this feeling of importance.
Acknowledgement is easily forgotten but can be a powerful tool in business. It can mark you as a great leader who easily motivates people. Leaders who acknowledge people and appreciate them are the ones who get followed.
Great leaders use acknowledgement to make people feel good about themselves. One good way to be a great leader is to find a way every day to make the people around you feel important.
DOES ACKNOWLEDGEMENT WORK?
Acknowledgement works because there are studies that prove it. Globoforce research in 2013 showed that 89 per cent of people were motivated by being told what they were doing right, rather than being told what they were doing wrong. Nearly 80 per cent of people looked for acknowledgement to be given close to the time of activity.
Another study by Bob Nelson showed very similar results. Here is an excerpt from the survey report by Bob Nelson:
"By taking the time to acknowledge each individual's ability to contribute to an organisation's success, we challenged our recruiting team to think out of the box for unique and cost-efficient ways to increase our candidate pipeline. This led to some recommendations from the team, one of which was to collect referrals from candidates when they came in for a round of in-person interviews. As a result of executing this strategy, we added over 20 per cent more candidates to our pipeline at no additional cost. By acknowledging these individuals, we created the environment for innovative ideas to emerge."
IMPORTANCE OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
It has been said that human beings not only want to be noticed by others but also want to be appreciated by them. These are two needs that everyone would like fulfilled. Usually, you would have these needs fulfilled by your family members, friends and coworkers.