Driving a Culture of Recognition, Acknowledgement and Reward for Excellence

By Chedza Balopi - Head, People and Culture, Stanbic Bank Botswana

Anyone well versed in the discipline of People and Culture, Human Resources or Human Capital will tell you that the importance of the mere act of recognition and acknowledgement for a job well done is amongst the most central things towards employee satisfaction. People want to know when they have done well, and if there is room to do even better, because it remains a basic fact of human existence that both of these are key, and that a culture of due recognition, acknowledgement and reward are an important aspect of basic people management. Indeed, more than that, it helps ensure the right culture where people feel valued and inspired to keep doing better.

In my experience in the people and culture space, a discipline I am as committed to as I am passionate about, I am always learning. The science of people, of their needs, wants, behaviours and cares is an ever-evolving one, for no two people are the same, nor are the precise details of what they care about or what they need. Being tasked with ensuring the most valuable asset in an organisation, its people, is no small task, and it means constantly working to understand people better, and to create the kind of environment and ecosystem that inspires, motivates, and encourages people to feel heard, cared for, recognised, appreciated and rewarded.

The challenge, as Mike Robbins points out for Harvard Business Review, is that “We often use the words “recognition” and “appreciation” interchangeably, but there’s a big difference between them. The former is about giving positive feedback based on results or performance. The latter, on the other hand, is about acknowledging a person’s inherent value.” If we do not fully take the time to understand the distinction between the two, how then are we to effectively deliver on them? As Robbins notes, “In simple terms, recognition is about what people do; appreciation is about who they are.”

Even further, if we do not take the time to recognise what matters most to those in our teams, then how do we ensure we help to positively contribute to these? Last but not least in that triphecta, if we do not define the expectation of excellence in our organisations, how do we expect our people to deliver on these?

Recognition can often come in the form of monetary rewards, job perks and associated benefits. These are very much, at this point, standard practice in any organisation. Remunerate people fairly, and consider incentives that can help speak to their needs for security through bonuses, performance based incentives and rewards. I would shudder to think any modern day professional business falls short in this arena, but the truth is, many often and oftentimes do. Stories of poor-paying companies who leave their employees hanging each month waiting for their due salaries, underpaying and yet overworking their people, and cutting corners to cheat their staff out of owed benefits are all too common, and no doubt an area we all need to work to address. This is where Human Resources associations and even the Department of labour can intervene – fair and best practice being kept in check. The space we need to be focusing on as we look at futureproofing our businesses and our teams is well beyond the necessary and expected. It traverses into the space of appreciation for our people, and this means getting to know and care for them, in a way that traditional businesses may never have done before. Allow your teams to feel valued, cared for

“in simple terms, and appreciated; let them see the recognition is about what human side of an organisation people do; appreciation is in how it sees its people, treats its about who they are.” people and looks out for its people, because the need for validation and appreciation is just as important in the grander scheme of things, and indeed din Maslow’s infamous hierarchy of needs. Oprah Winfrey once addressed graduates at a Harvard University ceremony, and key in her remarks for me was the following: “I have to say that the single most important lesson I learned in 25 years talking every single day to people was that there’s a common denominator in our human experience….The common denominator that I found in every single interview is we want to be validated. We want to be understood. I’ve done over 35,000 interviews in my career. And as soon as that camera shuts off, everyone always turns to me and

inevitably, in their own way, asks this question: “Was that OK?” I heard it from President Bush. I heard it from President Obama. (…) I even heard it from Beyoncé.”

It is a need for reassurance and validation, and it is met simply by articulating and gesturing “that was great” or “well done, I appreciated that.” No matter your rank in the business, who would not want to hear these from a supervisor or colleague? To know you matter and your role in the system or in the team is not simply important, but is seen to be important. Of course, acknowledgement must be given to the deserving, and not doled out without merit.

A survey by Glassdoor, it was found that employers were more likely to retain half of their employees longer if bosses showed more appreciation. According to Glassdoor, 53% of people who partook in the survey shared this view, while 68% said their boss already shows them enough appreciation. Nobody is suggesting going beyond reason, but within fair limits, appreciation for our people can have tremendous benefits, whether done in one on one sessions, informal email, through team meetings or even in staff awards. Enhancing our efforts in both recognition and appreciation can ultimately help us to better retain top talent, increase employee engagement, and encourage high performance.

At Stanbic Bank, we host the Mark of Excellence Awards every year for staff, a glitzy engagement that is part of the Standard Bank Group-wide Beyond Excellence programme just for staff. This is a human capital driven initiative that seeks to recognise, appreciate and reward excellence in the workplace. The focus is on identifying, through peer nomination, the growth of champions of excellence in the business: members of staff who were duly recognised for exceeding expectations by going the extra mile. This stems from their firm belief that an excellence state of mind and demonstrable excellence delivery are paramount to ensuring a sound customer experience. We recognise them, we thank them, we profile them and we learn from them.

We understand the need to acknowledge and honour those who continuously drive us towards our purpose and promise, those who understand, in line with the philosophy of our business that dreams matter and that if we all put in the effort and passion to take uncharted paths that lead to growth, we all win. We are firm believers at Stanbic Bank Botswana in the fact that the great work of our team ought to be recognised, acknowledged and celebrated, both in terms of individuals and as collectives.

Our more digitised future rests on the foundation of strong culture and strong teams, for the human experience can never be wholly removed, nor should it be. What, then, are we doing to invest in ensuring we retain and attract the very best people? It starts with us, and it starts with simple recognition and acknowledgement; a simple “That was great,” can often be the best place to begin.

Chedza Balopi

At Stanbic Bank, we host the Mark of Excellence Awards every year for staff, a glitzy engagement that is part of the Standard Bank Group-wide Beyond Excellence programme just for staff.