I want to share a routine I learnt from one of my managers that deeply affected me as a professional and a leader
Every week, during our team all-hands, we’d take 20 mins to publicly recognize and celebrate our coworkers
Someone was recognized for rolling up her sleeves before a major launch.
Another for masterfully managing a sales training with a tough audience.
An intern was commended for his storytelling skills in the mid-point check-in.
While someone was recognized for leading a difficult exec review for an underperforming product
Sometimes we’d celebrate the results
But mostly we’d celebrate the efforts
Every week , I’d learn new adjectives about my team members. Gritty. Tenacious. Collaborative. Never gives up. All-in. Solution oriented.
It brought a smile to everyone’s face. No matter how low they felt that day, the simple act of saying kudos had the power to uplift their spirits, and that of everyone around them
And it reminded everyone of the values, the behavior and the leadership principles that all of us could emulate
Yes there are tools to give hi-fives. Or private kudos. Or shout-out at the company all-hands
But there’s nothing better than being recognized by your peers, in front of your peers
Giving kudos, and creating the space to give kudos is a core leadership belief I carry
My advice to all managers- Try the power of kudos, especially in these difficult and uncertain times
. You will learn more about your team individuals than you can in any 1:1, performance review or calibration discussions