The Art of Acknowledgment: Why Celebrating Success Matters in IT Leadership

Every IT leader knows that recognizing the hard work of their team members is important, but doing so effectively is a skill that must be honed. One core aspect of this is knowing when to acknowledge, an aspect often overlooked despite its importance.

IT leaders are inundated with tasks, projects, and people to manage. This makes it all too easy to overlook the small, daily achievements that ultimately build up to larger successes. But, acknowledging these small wins can have a significant impact on individual and team performance, and ultimately on the bottom line.

This article will explore the finer points of acknowledgment, with the goal of helping IT leaders like you advance your management skills and build a more productive, motivated team.

First, let’s lay out what acknowledgment is — and is not.

What Is Acknowledgment?

Acknowledgment occurs when an individual or group is seen, praised, and celebrated for their achievements. It focuses both on the person and their contribution, highlighting the specific impact of their actions.

While often used interchangeably, acknowledgment is distinct from appreciation. Appreciation is a general sentiment of gratitude; acknowledgment, on the other hand, is a specific recognition of achievement.

Acknowledgment Is Not…

Acknowledgment should not be confused with other ‘feel-good’ concepts like praise, appreciation, recognition, or reward. While all of these may be tools used to show acknowledgment, they each focus on different aspects of the achievement.

Praise vs. Acknowledgment

Praise is a statement expressed to enhance motivation and encourage continued performance. While it can be a tool for acknowledgment, praise alone does not necessarily recognize the specifics of an achievement. For example, telling a developer that they’ve written clean, scalable code would be praise; it wouldn’t acknowledge that they took the initiative to fix a specific issue or implement a new feature.

Appreciation vs. Acknowledgment

Appreciation is a general sentiment of gratitude and can be effectively used to acknowledge someone. Words of appreciation can show that you recognize an individual’s hard work or achievements, but (unlike acknowledgment) they aren’t always tied to a specific action or achievement. A simple “I appreciate you” at the end of the day may boost morale, but it doesn’t acknowledge a particular accomplishment.

Reward vs. Acknowledgment

Reward and acknowledgment also have a relationship, but are not the same. Acknowledgment is generally more personal and occurs in the moment; a reward, on the other hand, is generally more formal and can be disconnected from the specific behavior or action you wish to encourage. While recognizing a team member with a reward is one way to acknowledge them, not all acknowledgments come with a tangible reward.

The Psychology of Acknowledgment

Acknowledgment is more than just a feel-good moment — it’s a tool that can be used to encourage specific behaviors and increase individual and team performance. When IT leaders understand the psychology behind acknowledgment, they can leverage it to motivate their teams more effectively.

The Five Factors of Acknowledgment

Research conducted by O.C. Tanner, a global leader in employee recognition, identified five distinct factors present in meaningful acknowledgment moments:

Timely: Acknowledgment is made promptly, reducing the time between the achievement and the acknowledgment.

Specific: The achievement is highlighted, specifying the individual or group’s actions and outcomes.

Personal: Acknowledgment is tailored to the recipient, considering their unique motivations and what they find meaningful.

Public: Acknowledgment is made in front of relevant stakeholders, providing visibility for the recipient and showcasing their achievements.

Authentic: The acknowledgment conversation or gesture is sincere and heartfelt.

The Reward Cascade

Similarly, acknowledgment can help trigger the reward cascade, a concept proposed by organizational psychologist, Susan M. Heathfield. She argues that rewards and recognition trigger a chemical reaction in our brains, leading to an increase in positive emotions and an uptick in productivity and performance.

Heathfield identifies four stages of the reward cascade, which can be seen in the figure below.

![]()

Image courtesy of Susan M. Heathfield, [The Reward Cascade: Four Stages of Employee Recognition](https://www.themuse.com/advice/the-reward-cascade-four-stages-of-employee-recognition)

When IT leaders understand how and when to effectively acknowledge their teams, they can trigger the reward cascade, leading to happier employees, increased productivity, and lower turnover.

Now, let’s turn our attention to how IT leaders can hone their acknowledgment skills to advance their management toolbox.

The IT Leader’s Guide to Acknowledgment

Acknowledgment is a skill, and like any skill, it can be improved with practice. Here are some tips to help you amplify your acknowledgment practices and become a more effective IT leader.

1. Be Laser Sharp on the Topic

When acknowledging your team members, be sure to stay focused on the specific achievement at hand.

It’s easy to veer into related topics or bring up unrelated projects. While you may have a lot on your mind, acknowledgment is most effective when its purpose is clear to the recipient. Avoid watering down the impact of your acknowledgment by keeping it focused on the topic at hand.

2. Don’t Overlap with Other Aspects

Acknowledgment is about more than just praising someone who has done good work. It’s about connecting their achievement to the bigger picture and showing an understanding of their contribution.

Avoid overlapping acknowledgment with other aspects like compensation, feedback, or rewards. When acknowledgment is tied to a person’s salary or promotional track, it muddies the purpose of the acknowledgment and diminishes its impact. Keep acknowledgment separate, and ensure that it is provided consistently, regardless of compensation structures.

3. Focus 100% on the Topic

Acknowledgment is not the time to discuss a person’s weaknesses or delve into areas for improvement. Recognize the achievement, and resist the temptation to veer into performance management territory. You’ll have ample opportunity to focus on growth and development areas in your one-on-one meetings and performance reviews.

4. Be Comprehensive

Acknowledgment is not one-size-fits-all. Each individual and team is different, and their acknowledgment should be tailored to their needs and preferences. Get to know your team members as people, and strive to create a culture of acknowledgment that celebrates diverse achievements.

Remember, recognition is not just about the big wins or unique achievements; acknowledging everyday tasks and projects is an effective way to motivate your team to keep up the good work.

5. Highest Quality

Acknowledgment is not a box to be checked. To be effective, the acknowledgment must be of the highest quality. This quality is achieved through sincerity, thoughtfulness, and a true understanding of the impact of the achievement.

Low-quality acknowledgment can be perceived as disingenuous or perfunctory. These checks-the-box acknowledgments can do more harm than good, ultimately demotivating and disengaging your team.

Overcoming Common Acknowledgment Challenges for IT Leaders

As an IT leader, you’re tasked with acknowledging multiple people and teams, each with their own unique preferences and motivations. This can be a challenging but important aspect of your job. Here are some tips to overcome common challenges IT leaders often face when it comes to acknowledgment.

1. Managing Expectations

Not all acknowledgment will come in the form of public recognition from leadership. In fact, for more transactional recognition, this can be wholly inappropriate and diminutive to the team’s overall sense of accomplishment.

IT leaders should strive to align the acknowledgment with the achievement, ensuring it is sincere and appropriate. This means recognizing that not every accomplishment will require a company-wide announcement.

2. Avoiding Obligation

Acknowledgment is an important aspect of workplace culture, but it cannot be forced. Attempting to artificially create opportunities to acknowledge can lead to hollow gestures that do more harm than good. Instead, IT leaders should focus on creating a culture of authenticity, one in which acknowledgment comes naturally and is deeply valued.

3. Pitfalls of Perfection

Acknowledgment is not always straightforward. IT leaders, particularly those with large teams, may struggle with balancing their workload, their team’s diversity, and the overall frequency of acknowledgment.

Striving for perfection in your acknowledgment process is unrealistic — focus instead on aiming for meaningful and consistent acknowledgment, even if you miss the mark from time to time.

4. Overcoming Distance

Distance can be a barrier to effective acknowledgment. IT leaders may find themselves managing teams they rarely see in person, especially in today’s hybrid and remote work environments. In these cases, IT leaders must be more intentional in their acknowledgment efforts, using various communication tools and methods to ensure that all team members feel included and recognized.

5. Managing Team Diversity

Diversity — whether cultural, generational, or otherwise — is a reality of the modern workplace. IT leaders would be remiss to not acknowledge (see what I did there?) the role that diversity plays in effective acknowledgment. What may work for one person or team may not work for another, so IT leaders should be aware of the unique needs and motivations of their team members when crafting acknowledgment strategies.

6. Avoiding Obligation

Acknowledgment should never be an obligation. As mentioned above, attempting to artificially create opportunities for acknowledgment can be perceived as insincere and may demotivate your team. The most effective acknowledgment is authentic, heartfelt, and aligned with the achievement.

7. Strive for Timely, Not Instant

Acknowledgment should be timely, but not instantaneous. IT leaders should avoid the temptation to immediately jump on every achievement. Often, excitement surrounding an accomplishment can lead to acknowledgment that lacks thoughtfulness and sincerity.

This does not mean that you should avoid acknowledgment altogether. Instead, strive for timeliness without sacrificing thoughtfulness and authenticity.

8. Acknowledgment Doesn’t Equal Reward

As mentioned earlier, reward and acknowledgment are not the same. While rewards can be an effective part of an acknowledgment strategy, they are not always necessary or appropriate.

IT leaders should avoid the temptation to equate acknowledgment with rewards and recognize that not all cultures and team members are motivated by the same things. Some may value public acknowledgment, while others may appreciate an opportunity to take the lead on a new project.

9. Leading by Example

IT leaders play a critical role in fostering a culture of acknowledgment. Leading by example is a key aspect of shaping workplace culture, and your acknowledgment practices can go a long way in promoting (or demotivating) your team.

10. Regularly Reflect and Refine

If you want to improve your acknowledgment practices, regular reflection is key. Reflect on both successful and unsuccessful attempts at acknowledgment to see what worked, and what didn’t. Refine your practices accordingly and don’t be afraid to try new things.

11. Creating a Culture of Acknowledgment

Finally, IT leaders should aim to create a culture that values acknowledgment. This should involve educating team members on the benefits of acknowledgment, as well as normalizing the practice of celebrating and highlighting the achievements of others.

This can include encouraging team members to acknowledge one another, rather than solely relying on leadership to drive acknowledgment. Creating a culture of acknowledgment encourages collaboration and teamwork, further enhancing your team’s performance and outcomes.

And there you have it, you’ve reached the end of this article on the art of acknowledgment. I hope you’ve gleaned some valuable insights into creating a culture of acknowledgment in your IT team.