Why Recognition Matters

Promoting a recognition culture and encouraging others to do the same is as easy as 1-2-3!

Getting Started - 1

Understand
Importance

Understand why recognition matters and makes such a difference in team morale

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Getting Started - 2

Discover
Opportunities

Explore formal and information opportunities and begin recognizing your team members

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Getting Started - 3

Continued
Commitment

Continue to promote recognition by being aware of your role & engaging sincerely

Recognition makes a difference!

Acknowledging and genuinely appreciating State Team Members for a job well done is proven to be one of the top motivators for morale and motivation. As such, formal and informal recognition are important tools when it comes to increasing job satisfaction, engagement, and retention of our valuable state team members. Developing a culture of meaningful recognition allows us to:

  • Make our team members feel seen, heard and valued
  • Increase morale and instill a rich culture of acceptance, satisfaction, and engagement
  • Become a competitive and desirable employer
  • Reduce turnover and onboarding costs
  • Provide uninterrupted service to our fellow Missourians

Who should recognize team members?

Every state team member should be encouraged to recognize other team members for a job well done. Rewards and recognition is about creating a culture of appreciation throughout Missouri State Government! This includes recognition from:

  • Top-Down: Leaders and supervisors show appreciation for the contributions of their team members
  • Bottom-Up: Team members recognize managers, supervisors, or other leaders
  • Peer-to-Peer: An expression of appreciation between coworkers
  • Cross-Department: Team members recognizing the efforts of someone from another department or agency

When should I begin recognizing a team member?

It is never too early to begin thinking about recognizing a team member. In fact, onboarding provides an excellent opportunity to begin creating a culture of appreciation. Not only can you learn valuable information about a new team member to help you recognize them in the future, but you could also use this as an opportunity to communicate the importance of recognition and showing appreciation for team members.

It is also never too late to start promoting a recognition culture amongst your team. The key is to make sure that recognition is timely, consistent, specific and meaningful for the team member. 

What should be recognized?

The possibilities are endless, but a good place to start is to recognize team members for behaviors that are considered valuable. You may also consider the level of recognition most appropriate depending on the action or accomplishment. Recognition can be as simple and informal as a “thank you,” or as formal as nominating someone for a department or statewide award. Keep in mind that effective praise is frequent, so it is important to recognize your team regularly.

It is also important to engage with your teams to best understand what motivates team members. For example, you would want to be sure if you are rewarding team members with food that you are aware of any potential dietary restrictions. Consider having your team members fill out a Team Member Preferences Form to help with these decisions.