Category: recognition

leadership dot #3952: graduates

June 3, 2023June 1, 2023by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

With graduation season upon us, many businesses are acknowledging their seniors with a cake or other internal celebration. Freddy’s Hamburgers has gone a step further and is publicly recognizing the achievements of its seniors through an eye-catching display of signs. Each of the graduates has a personal sign — not only much nicer than a generic “congratulations graduates” banner — but it makes a can’t-miss display to all who drive by.

The display achieves two goals: recognizing the graduates and also letting others know that the restaurant is hiring due to the departure of many who are presumably off to college or career. It’s an effective way to do both simultaneously.

Internal recognition is always welcome, but external accolades have a role to play as well. For the younger generation who likes personalization and Instagram-worthy experiences, a little sign can go a long way.

leadership dot #3947: remembered

May 29, 2023June 2, 2023by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

It’s Memorial Day — a day to remember the men and women who died while serving in the military.

There will be parades, tributes to the fallen, and other forms of acknowledgment that unfortunately will fade once the holiday is over. In the Boston area, they have found a more lasting way to recognize those who have served and fallen in the line of duty: permanent plaques on many of their street corners. The posts include the name in raised lettering and a red, white, and blue wreath with color that draws your attention to the sign which hangs year-round. You can’t help but notice them.

As you attempt to create a recognition program for those who have left a legacy in your organization, consider something more lasting than just a going-away party. Those special few you are appreciating are an important part of your organization’s story. Tributes shouldn’t be fleeting.

leadership dot #800a: buzz

April 6, 2023March 26, 2023by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

When a colleague and I were both new at another institution, we found ourselves in the position of making a lot of changes. Some of these were not popular with the staff or students, and we had the suspicion that we were being called a certain name behind our backs. The name started with the letter B.

As a symbol of solidarity, one of us gave the other something in the shape of a bee. Then there was another exchange. And another. And another. Now more than a decade has passed and I still think of her every time I see items with a bee — and let me tell you, there are A LOT of them. We have exchanged slippers, dishwashing sponges, sandwich bread cutters, jewelry, wind chimes, sunglasses, and numerous toys. Once you start paying attention to “bee items”, you will be amazed at how pervasive the image is.

We continued the bee exchange for years after the initial rumble was long forgotten. We ended up being well-liked by most and the nickname faded, but the camaraderie that it engendered did not.

Do you know someone who could use a little extra strength to pursue an unpopular but necessary course of action? Perhaps a little bee could buzz into their lives and give them the fortitude they need to stick with it, even if it stings for awhile.

Originally published in modified form on August 10, 2014

leadership dot #3817: smokehouse

January 8, 2023January 7, 2023by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

When I was in Chicagoland over the holidays, of course, I ate at Portillo’s. For the uninitiated, Portillo’s serves genuine Chicago hot dogs — a sesame seed bun, neon green relish, mustard, sport peppers, celery salt, onion, a pickle — and always with a pure Vienna Beef dog.

While I was waiting for my order, I noticed a plaque on the wall that recognized Portillo’s for its long partnership with Vienna Beef, naming them a “cherished part of the Vienna Beef Family” — no doubt because of the 250,000,000 hot dogs sold (and this was in 2014 before franchising!). The plaque went on to say that because of their long relationship, Vienna Beef was naming Smokehouse #1 the Portillo’s Smokehouse and it would remain that way as long as the company existed.

I’m sure in the Vienna Beef world, this is the highest honor they can bestow. The presence of the plaque in the restaurant nearly a decade later indicates to me that Dick Portillo recognized the significance of what they did to thank him.

Vienna Beef did not have to buy something fancy to show their appreciation to their best customer. They made a gesture and acknowledged the relationship in a way that was meaningful but not elaborate.

Take a moment to think about who is a major customer or collaborator for you — and then think of ways you can acknowledge the importance of your partnership. I suspect you don’t have a smokehouse to name, but surely you can find an appropriate way to let them know how much they mean to you and your organization.

leadership dot #3784: good grief

November 26, 2022November 25, 2022by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

If you read the comic strips today you likely will notice a theme — all of them include a reference to Charles Schultz, the creator of Peanuts. In honor of what would have been his 100th birthday, cartoonists across the country were asked to include a tribute to Schultz in today’s strips, honoring the legacy of the greatest of their trade. It’s a beautiful way to recognize the impact someone had, and were he still living, it’s far more meaningful than a pile of physical gifts.

We would be wise to follow this lead when paying homage to others in our lives. For example, when our graphic designer/brand manager left our workplace we all wore purple that day — the signature color of our local competitor which she forbade us from ever using. I have seen obituaries that encourage mourners to wear bright colors or beach shirts or wakes that make a toast with the deceased’s omnipresent Diet Coke as a way to celebrate their life.

As we head into the season of gifts, think about whether your giving can be a more meaningful than material way of showing your love.

leadership dot #3740: saying thanks

October 13, 2022October 12, 2022by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

A friend asked me for ideas for an appreciation gift for the “person who has everything.” Maybe you have a similar query to show your gratitude as the holiday season approaches — what can you give that has meaning without adding to their pile of stuff?

My thought is that people who have everything probably don’t want more of something. I think of experiences (architectural tour, concert ticket, massage, restaurant, detailing) or something edible like Harry & David Riviera Pears (my go-to gift), or Sugarwish (Sugarwish.com) that has many choices including for pets and is fun to pick out your own, edible bouquets, etc.

For something tangible, I like The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho — you can write a note of how their action/gift/whatever you’re thanking them for was like alchemy and allowed you to do X more with it. (If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend it.) They make a nice illustrated version that is good for gift-giving. Another option is personalized correspondence cards ( https://www.embossedgraphics.com as an example) — something that is nice to use but that you likely wouldn’t purchase yourself.

Maybe these ideas can help you land on something that is “just right” but my experience is the note that accompanies it is always more meaningful than the gift. What you write will be remembered long after the gift itself is forgotten.

leadership dot #3707: label

September 10, 2022September 9, 2022by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

In the Atlanta airport, there are a series of sculptures that line one set of escalators. These works of art are all composed of crayons — lots and lots of crayons — that must have taken enormous time and talent to construct. It’s like a mini art gallery as you ascend to the terminal level from the train.

What struck me as much as the art itself was that the only identifying signage that accompanies these treasures is a label stuck onto the railing at the top. “Herb Williams” it reads, without any further acknowledgment or description of the media he used in his work. It comes across as an afterthought and is a travesty.

If you take one step to enhance the environment, please go another step further to credit the artists that make your ambiance possible, especially in a public space where others may wish to pursue the work. It’s hard enough to be an artist; don’t make it harder by failing to give appropriate recognition for the work that is displayed.

leadership dot #3708: in service

September 8, 2022September 7, 2022by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

I have been traveling a lot this summer and while I have been away I have been very conscious of all the people in jobs that made my trips possible. Of course, there were many in high-level positions that were integral but mostly I paid attention to the hundreds in service jobs who were necessary for me to have the experiences I did. I think about the people who cleaned the restaurant, changed out my hotel towels, emptied the trash cans, cooked my food, did the dishes afterward, ran the amusement park rides, set up the meeting room, maintained the train, swept the floor in the station, took the tickets, etc. etc.

I specifically was struck by the person cleaning the restrooms at the airport at 11 pm — would you want that job? Would you even want to be responsible for finding someone to hire to take that job? Probably not.

Too often, we overlook the people in positions that provide the infrastructure that makes our work, travel, business, and leisure possible. We complain about poor service but good service becomes invisible as if the business was cleaned on its own or the food only required a chef and not the dozens around them to shop, prep, and clean up.

Raise your awareness of the people who do the work that helps your work and make a conscious effort to acknowledge them. There are many functions that aren’t glamorous but are necessary and a word of appreciation can go a long way.

leadership dot #416a: mattering

August 24, 2022August 19, 2022by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

As part of her research on adult students in higher education, professor Nancy Schlossberg developed the theory that adult learners will persist if they believe that they “matter” to someone at the institution. This could be a professor, a classmate, advisor, or learning resource specialist — the “who” was less important than the fact that the student believed someone would notice (and care) if they were not there.

I think her concept of “mattering” has far broader implications than adult students. I think it applies to any organizational context in which we find ourselves. We want to know that our presence makes a difference and that our work is valued.

When you notice someone’s absence, do you always acknowledge it the next time you see the person? When co-workers are out on vacation or maternity leave, do you explicitly welcome them back and show them that they were missed? If someone misses a meeting, do you try to get them caught up and let them know their absence mattered?

We aren’t always quick to show acknowledgment and appreciation to those who do show up either. I was at a wedding of a colleague, and I was very glad to see so many of my other colleagues in attendance, but I didn’t tell them all that it mattered to me that they were there.

Try to be intentional this week in letting others know that their presence and contributions do matter to you and the organization. It will feel good for both of you!

Originally published in modified form on July 22, 2013

leadership dot #212a: towering achievement

July 20, 2022by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

As one of my staff members reflected on the year, she described it as gray. “Nothing really big happened,” she said.

But when I looked at her year, I saw a collection of little wins: process improvements, staff training gains, outreach efforts, a record of accuracy and service, etc. I feared that if she did not take satisfaction in these achievements her staff would not see their significance either, setting everyone up for a “gray” year next year.

The analogy I used to describe this to her was that she had a bunch of little boxes. Her job as a manager was to tie a ribbon around them and make them into an impressive tower of gifts. Big wins don’t need to come in big chunks or be a silver bullet. Small, continuous improvements can add up to produce significant benefits as well.

Originally published in modified form on December 30, 2012