Motivating Team Members

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞. As leaders, we often assume that appreciation always has to be formal to be meaningful—an award, a town hall, a certificate, or a moment on stage. Those moments certainly matter. But I've come to believe that recognition is built just as much in the moments in between. It is a manager acknowledging the effort behind a difficult assignment, even before the results are visible. It is making sure that the right people receive the credit. It is taking a moment to simply say, "𝘐 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘪𝘥." These gestures may seem small, but they send a powerful message: your contribution matters, and it has not gone unnoticed. Organisations invest significant time and effort in shaping culture through policies, programmes, and values. In my experience, culture is equally shaped by the everyday interactions that rarely appear in presentations or annual reports. Because recognition isn't reserved for special occasions. It is woven into the everyday experiences that define how people feel at work. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞, 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬.

“But it’s a team effort - it’s not just me!’ The cost of staying under the radar, hiding behind your team, is real. Unless you talk about your achievements, no-one will ask you about them. Here’s an invitation. Start with one first small and powerful way: Contribution. Contribution is about sharing your expertise and talking about your impact. It’s not waiting till you are “expert enough” but offering what you already know. It’s not hiding behind your “team’s effort” but acknowledging your part as a leader. My client hesitated to talk about an important milestone that was achieved under her leadership because ‘it’s a team effort’. (Not to mention the previous leader failed exactly at that.) It was an important milestone for the company, and of course it’s a team effort - otherwise she wouldn’t be leading one! But here is what’s really playing: It’s about taking ownership of both the problem and the solution, and recognising that.  And it starts with you. Here’s a simple way to start: the “And” technique. Using “AND” is a great way to acknowledge collaboration while claiming your specific contribution: In a team meeting: "This was a collaborative effort AND I led the data analysis that shaped our recommendation." In an email update: "Thanks to the whole team AND I'm particularly proud of how we solved the budget challenge under tight deadlines." On LinkedIn: "Great project with amazing colleagues AND here's the framework I developed that made it possible..." This one small word lets you honor the team while making your value visible. You’re not bragging when it’s based on facts. You’re being specific about what you brought to the table. That specificity is what people remember - and is what opens doors. Back to my client: she met the CEO at the coffee machine and used this technique. It turned into an interesting discussion. This technique is your starting point. Next week I’m giving the workshop ‘Remarkable in Action’ where we’ll dive into strategies tailored to different situations you actually face, so you can advocate for yourself with confidence. Want to know more? Follow the link in the comments. 📅 16 Oct 2025 ***** If we haven’t met, Hi my name’s Ilse! I help midcareer, mission-driven women leaders regain self-trust, decisive presence and sustainable energy so they can lead with clarity and calm, and design careers that fit their lives - without burning out or betraying their values. 👉 Follow for insights on leadership, mindset & self-awareness 💬 Comment or DM me; always happy to exchange thoughts ♻️ Share if this resonated with you

When I talk about recognition out in the wild, one of the things people are often surprised by is how much information is hiding inside a single message. If I send you a thumbs-up emoji, I've communicated a little something. You know I appreciate what you did. But you don't always know why. But when somebody takes the time to explain what you did, how you helped, what problem you solved, or why your contribution mattered, they're creating something much more valuable than a moment of appreciation. What they’re really doing here is describing how work gets done. And that’s incredibly valuable information.  At Workhuman Live last year, I showed a real recognition moment for one of our own people, Cameron Torre, after his recent promotion. The message itself was rich, but what really mattered was the pattern in the comments. Five independent people used the word “dedication.” Three different people described him as a natural leader. One colleague said that three or four months into the role, he had assumed Cam was already a VP because of how he showed up in the work. That is what I mean by information density. It wasn’t one manager making a call. It wasn’t one annual review. It was people who had worked with Cam, seen him in action, and used remarkably similar language to describe him. That's why recognition data has become so central in the age of AI. If somebody spends a little time explaining specifically why they're thanking a colleague, they're leaving behind dozens of signals about skills, expertise, leadership, collaboration, and trust. As an engineer, that's fascinating to me. And it is why a “well done, Bob” recognition program is not enough in an AI world. A quick emoji may create a nice moment, but there is no information density in it. The gold dust is in the paragraph, when someone explains what happened, why it mattered, and how that person made the work better. Recognition is a profoundly important thing for an individual, to motivate them and make them feel appreciated. But a recognition message is not just appreciation.  It's also one of the most rich sources of decision-level data a company can get.

Your juniors are doing the work. Your name is getting the credit. In many law firms, when a client needs an opinion or a letter, the senior lawyer passes it to a junior or a paralegal. They research. They draft. They build the argument. Then the work appears on letterhead under the senior’s name, with no mention of the person who actually wrote it. I delegate to lawyers and paralegals too. But when I adapt their work, I add one simple line at the bottom of the email: “I would like to thank my colleague, [NAME], for their excellent work on drafting this opinion.” That one gesture can transform careers: 💡 Career visibility: The client learns their name and skillset. It becomes easier for the client to reach out to them if I'm unavailable. 💡 Credibility building: Their reputation grows beyond the firm. 💡 Engagement and retention: People who feel valued are more likely to stay. 💡 Professional pride: It affirms their role as a key contributor. Recognizing authorship does not weaken your authority. It strengthens the entire team. Whether you lead a law firm, a tech company, or a retail operation, the principle is the same. When was the last time you made someone else the author of their own work? ♻️ Share with someone who leads a team. 👉 Follow me for more reflections on law, leadership, and the human side of work. #Leadership #Mentorship #ProfessionalDevelopment #Teamwork #Recognition #Paralegals #LegalProfession

👏 Celebrating Small Wins to Drive Big Outcomes In my career, I've seen leaders who reserve recognition for the "big wins": product launches, hitting revenue milestones, or achieving annual goals. But I've also seen leaders who choose a different path—they celebrate the small wins. Progress made on a tough problem. A new process tested. Even lessons learned from failed experiments. And here's the interesting part: research by Harvard Business Review identifies progress, no matter how small, as the single most powerful motivator at work. When employees feel their incremental contributions are seen and valued, their energy doesn't just sustain—it multiplies. I once saw a team that started every weekly check-in by recognizing "micro-achievements." Over a year, that team delivered some of the most innovative outcomes I've witnessed. What this looks like in practice: 👉 Acknowledging someone who worked through a complex challenge 👉 Celebrating a question that shifted the team's thinking 👉 Recognizing insights from experiments that didn't work 👉 Highlighting small process improvements Why it works: ✅ Builds psychological safety → People share struggles early and take smart risks ✅ Creates momentum → Weekly progress beats waiting months for big wins ✅ Drives innovation → When failure teaches lessons, experimentation increases 💡 Lesson for leaders: Don't just wait for the finish line. Recognition is not about perfection—it's about progress. When you consistently celebrate small wins, you don't just reward effort, you create momentum. And momentum is what drives organizations forward. What small win in your team deserves recognition this week?

Acknowledgments. That section at the back of a book where the author publicly thanks the mentors, colleagues, friends, and family who provided the support, the tough love, and the insights necessary to bring the work to life. Here's an idea: When was the last time you wrote your own Acknowledgments? Most of us move pretty quickly...focusing on the next goal, the next meeting, or our next role. We often forget to pause and genuinely appreciate the people whose efforts—big and small—have been crucial to our success. Think about your list... The Sponsor: Who advocated for you when you weren't in the room? The Mentor: Who shared hard-won wisdom that saved you from a major mistake? The Cheerleader: Who always believed in you, even when you doubted yourself? The Team: Who worked tirelessly beside you to deliver a win? This is about gratitude and recognizing these contributions and that we didn't get here 100% on our own. The Call to Action: Thank Them Personally. Once you have your list, don't just admire it. Reach out to these people with a genuine, specific thank you. It's one of the most powerful gestures you can make. It can be a short, personal email, a handwritten card, or a quick call. The key? Be specific. Instead of saying, "Thanks for all your help," mention any details you can recall, or an approach they left you with that you still use today. Acknowledge the people who helped with your story thus far. You'll not only make their day, but you'll strengthen the connections that will shape your next chapter. #Gratitude #Leadership #CareerDevelopment #Mentorship #NeverEatAlone