Kudos and recognition
Whether it’s between close team members or just an appreciation for someone’s actions that stood out, this activity provides a platform for people to share their positive feedback with each other.
How to
- Before a meeting, reach out to the team (this can be any method like via email or form) and ask them to submit kudos to anyone they’d like to recognize. You can do this on the spot by opening up the meeting to allow everyone to share any kudos they may have. However, we recommended giving people more structure and time to prepare by having them submit ahead of time.
- Collect the responses and compile them in a presentation.
- Present the kudos during the meeting. Ask the person who submitted to share their kudos, if they’re able. It’s more personal and genuine coming straight from the source!
What we like about it
Sharing kudos and recognition helps foster a culture of appreciation and brings teams closer together.
It’s powerful for many reasons. It’s an act of gratitude. It’s an expression of human connection, of another person’s contribution. It encourages growth and striving. Giving and receiving kudos releases dopamine in the brain, which feels good and encourages the same behaviour in pursuit of the same feel good reward.
At Habanero, we collect and share kudos and recognition monthly in our firm-wide balanced scorecard review meetings. It feels great to share your appreciation for someone and even better to be appreciated!
Tips
- Ensure the kudos are sincere and not forced.
- Suggest that team members be specific in their kudos and reference a particular project, action or attribute that they admire.
- Providing examples might help prompt your team to submit their own: “I’m grateful for x’s positive attitude.”
- Know your audience before using kudos as an icebreaker, because there is a certain vulnerability in sharing praise for another person. Some people prefer their recognition in private and being spotlighted in a group is stressful for them. Others might be shy to share or could be caught off guard if they feel they need to come up with something nice to say, even though they don’t have an authentic experience to share. Kudos need to be sincere or they lose all their magic.
