Staff Need Meaningful Recognition

Two people talking and smiling in office12 ways to recognize staff.

By Marc Rosenberg

Suppose you ask staff (or partners, for that matter), “How important is it for the firm or your boss to recognize your accomplishments and efforts?”

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A knee-jerk response may be: “It’s nice but not that important. I’m self-motivated and don’t need others to tell me when I do something good.”

I usually regard these responses as somewhat defensive and automated because everyone wants recognition. It’s a fundamental human need.