Acknowledgement: A Growth Power Tool

It’s H2 planning season. If you haven’t already presented your ideas to management, you’re likely deep into connecting with your teams, brainstorming, prioritizing, and running the numbers to make sure that everyone hits the ground running in H2. We’ve all been through a myriad of planning cycles in our careers. Some of them arduous and painful, some meh, and others invigorating and meaningful. Chances are, the most successful execution cycles were those where the planning process felt collaborative, empowering, and grounded in a growth mindset. Looking at performance metrics and setting new goals is an important starting point for any planning exercise and helps to ground ideas. But one thing many leaders overlook in the high-stress world of marketing, is taking the time to pause and acknowledge the efforts of their team. This is a missed opportunity to provide new energy and momentum to fuel the next wave of growth. 

When companies are going through big transitions, change in leadership, and uncertain times, which is pretty much all the time these days, acknowledgement is an essential tool to help team members feel seen, understood, and valued for who they are. Often leaders are so focused on the future, anxiously planning for the next big win and managing up, that they fail to take stock of what the team is going through now, the personal and professional assets they have developed, and the challenges they bravely face every day. 

According to Judy Umlas, author of the ground-breaking book, The Power of Acknowledgement,  “Recognizing good work leads to high energy, great feelings, high-quality performance and terrific results. Not acknowledging good work causes lethargy, resentment, sorrow and withdrawal. Recognize and acknowledge good work, wherever you find it. It’s not true that people only work hard if they worry whether you value them. Quite the opposite!” Her work has been credited with changing workplaces and lives by making use of the 7 Principles of Acknowledgement. 

Using acknowledgement effectively is a learned process, not a skill most of us were taught. Those who consciously choose to cultivate the skill are tapping into a powerful way to reinforce a growth mindset and drive sustained momentum towards collective goals. 

Here are three things to keep in mind as you work on your own culture of gratitude and growth. 

1. Acknowledgement Frees Up Emotional Space for Creativity
   My dear friend Tirza, creation culture leader and trainer of high performing teams at Luman has taught me that one of the most important rituals of a leader is to spend as much time as possible acknowledging the personal growth and milestones of team members and cultivate the practice across the team. Her work focuses on relationships and behaviors that promote the conditions for people to be at their best. Science proves that acknowledgement is fundamental to survival. The basic practice helps to relax our underlying nervous system related to primal fear, or the fear of death. Second to the fear of death is the fear of being kicked out of the tribe. In the old world, if you're out of the tribe and alone, you're going to die. You need the tribe to survive. We still carry those instincts today.” Tirza says, “When we acknowledge, we affirm to somebody that they're a part of our tribe, that we appreciate what they bring to the tribe and they have a role in the tribe, and we relax that primal fear. Then we can focus on the quality of the learning and presence which makes space for creativity to flourish.”

2. Tailor acknowledgement to the individual. 
   Different people want to be acknowledged for different things. When you ask people what they want to be acknowledged for, you get a window into their strengths and ‘growth edge.’ Some people want to be acknowledged for showing up for others while others want to be acknowledged for going above and beyond. Let’s take the example of Kat, Tirza’s colleague, a working mother now starting to travel. Recently, she was feeling anxious about an upcoming business trip. When they dug a little further, Tirza realized Kat wants to be acknowledged for her commitment, not only to work but to her family and child. She wasn’t necessarily worried that her presentation would go well or that she’d win a new client. She wanted to be seen for making hard choices on her own path. Taking the time to really see someone the way they want to be seen takes time, active listening, and courage to dive deep with them. It’s an investment in deeper relationships that often results in deeper commitment, more authentic innovation, and a sense of possibility that comes from feeling recognized and valued.

3. Use acknowledgement to encourage a growth mindset.
   Growth-oriented leaders recognize that acknowledgement is not just for high performers. It’s for everyone. Whether a team has met their goals or not, there are attributes to be seen and encouraged like persistence, collaboration, courage, honesty, creativity, and passion. It’s not just a thank you for good work but a tool to encourage consistency and personal growth. Fixed mindset leaders exclusively acknowledge measurable wins and fixed personal attributes. They might say things like: “Wow you’re so smart,” or “You always do a great job.” Growth mindset acknowledgements focus on behaviors and may sound more like: “Wow, this is so in-depth and thoughtfully done,” or “I watched you struggle with this, but you exceeded everyone’s expectations.” Saying things like: “This was hard for you and you gave it your all,” helps someone feel valued for effort, not just outcome. When you see someone striving or learning in an area, you’re acknowledging the effort and the growth edge because growing is hard. When we are growing, we have to be brave, and we have to be willing to take risks, and we have to be willing to do it wrong, which, of course, is part of the learning process. And all of these things are scary, but when somebody sees us in our attempts to grow, we feel encouraged and we will continue growing. 

What We Choose to See Grows:

According to Robin S. Sharma, “What you focus on grows, what you think about expands, and what you dwell upon determines your destiny.” In our “Ready for Anything” Planning Workshop, we focus on growth edges vis-a-vis goals. We think about what the team and individuals value, to expand on the range of their own self-worth and the collective value of the team. When the planning is over, we dwell on creating ongoing rituals, so we never forget how powerful acknowledgements can be in sustaining a positive, vibrant team dynamic. 

If you would like to learn more about our unique approach to unlocking the creative potential of your marketing team, contact us. We’re excited to spread good energy and high performing vibes with marketers driving change.