Celebrating Small Wins at Work

Too often, work goes unnoticed. But people want to be seen. A recent statistic had me thinking: 37% of employees claim that increased personal recognition would significantly enhance their work output. This insight comes from an O.C. Tanner survey, which leveraged 1.7 million responses from employees across various industries and company sizes. Beyond just feeling nice, recognition emerges as the most impactful driver of motivation. It makes real-time feedback, personal appreciation, and meaningful rewards not just nice-to-haves — they're must-haves to fuel performance. Here are concrete ways you can supercharge your recognition efforts to resonate deeply with your team: (1) Spotlight Specifics: Highlight specific achievements. Hilton’s Recognition Calendar equips managers with daily actionable ideas that turn recognizing real accomplishments into a routine practice. (2) Quick Kudos: Swift praise is so important. Timeliness in recognition makes it feel authentic and maintains high motivation levels. (3) Tailored Cheers: Personalize your appreciation. Crowe's "Recognize Alert" system enhances recognition by transforming client praises into celebratory moments, encouraging recipients to pay it forward. (4) Genuine Thank-Yous: Don't underestimate the power of small gestures. Regular acknowledgments, whether through handwritten notes or intranet shout-outs, create a culture where appreciation is commonplace. You do it, others will do it too. (5) Big Picture Praises: Connect individual achievements to the company’s larger mission. Texas Health Resources celebrates personal milestones with personalized yearbooks that link each person’s contributions to the organization’s goals. Using these practices genuinely and consistently can make every team member feel truly valued and more connected to the collective mission. Each act of recognition builds a stronger, more engaged team, poised to meet challenges and drive success. #Recognition #Appreciation #FeelingValued #Workplace #Culture #Innovation #HumanResources #Leadership Source: https://lnkd.in/e8jUtHZH

"Showcasing my work feels like bragging." This limiting belief is (quite literally) killing your career. Here are 3 ways to fix it TODAY: 1. Get your Work in Progress Reviewed Don't wait for perfection. Share early drafts. Why: Visibility becomes a natural byproduct of seeking improvement, not the primary goal. Shows your growth mindset and commitment to excellence. Script: "Hey Heather, I'm working on this product proposal for our subscription service. Your expertise in product P&L would be invaluable—can you share your thoughts on strengthening the business case?" 2. Recognize Others' Contributions Make others the heroes of your success stories. Why: Demonstrates you value collaboration while naturally highlighting achievements. Creates a positive feedback loop where everyone benefits from increased visibility. Script: "I'm incredibly grateful to Leila and Jim for integrating our new on-call system. Their brilliant work cut call handling time by 50% and boosted customer satisfaction from 3.5 to 4.5." 3. Connect Your Work to Others' Goals Build bridges between what you do and what others need. Why: Positions your accomplishments as solutions rather than achievements. Shows you're thinking strategically about organizational impact. Script: "I noticed your goal to reduce service costs this year. Our automation project has already cut manual efforts by 50% in operations. Would extending this approach to your sales team be valuable?" The most successful professionals don't "brag" about their work. They CONNECT it with purpose, people, and possibilities. Your work isn't just about you—it's about how it serves others. What brilliant work of yours is currently invisible to those who need it most? Your silence isn't serving anyone. PS: Intent matters. Approach with genuine desire to learn, grow and support others.

A 0.1% improvement in our fulfillment failure rate means hundreds of happy trips a day at Klook. This simple stat is a key lesson from Ben Horowitz’s classic, "The Hard Thing About Hard Things." While the book focuses on big-picture leadership, my takeaway is that the tedious work of small, consistent improvements isn't glamorous, but it's what creates a powerful competitive advantage. As a former i-banker, I've seen the incredible power of compounding in investment and biz growth. This principle applies just as powerfully to operational excellence: what seems like a minor change and attention to details today becomes truly transformational over time. Klook's decade-long journey to build a consistent global supply wasn't just about scaling. It was the painstaking work of improving every detail, from our tech integration and content to inventory availability and pricing, and many more. That's the magic of small, consistent improvements compounding day after day.

You don’t need to reinvent yourself this week. You just need to steer 1° in a better direction. If a plane leaves its route by just 1°, it seems insignificant. But over time, it can land hundreds of miles away from where it was meant to go. That’s how leadership works too. Small decisions made daily change your entire destination. Most leaders try to change everything overnight. - Wake up earlier. - Be more patient. - Fix the culture. - Do it all. By Wednesday, they’re tired. By Friday, they’re back to old habits. When I first led a team, I did the same thing. I tried to rebuild everything, fast. The result? - A stressed team. - And zero real progress. Then I learned the 1% Rule, the leadership version of compound interest. Each day, I made one small improvement. - Monday: I stopped interrupting during meetings. - Tuesday: I gave feedback within 24 hours. - Wednesday: I clarified one confusing process. - Thursday: I wrote better briefs. - Friday: I said one genuine “thank you.” Nothing flashy. Nothing dramatic. But week by week, the team shifted. Meetings got shorter. Trust got stronger. Momentum started to build. That’s the magic of small, consistent corrections. You don’t feel the change today. But over months, it changes everything. So don’t try to turn the plane around. Just steer it 1° better every day. Because great leaders aren’t built overnight. They’re built through small adjustments, repeated until they become who you are. What’s one 1° improvement you could make this week? #Leadership #ContinuousImprovement #1PercentRule #AtomicHabits #SmallWins #GrowthMindset

"𝗔𝗺 𝗜 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗘𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗝𝗼𝗯?" When I started my career as a research analyst in my 20s, I kept waiting for someone to call me out. “She doesn’t know enough.” “Why did we hire her?” “She’s just faking it.” No one said it. But my brain made sure I heard it anyway. Imposter Syndrome hit me HARD. Even after getting the job, I felt like I had somehow tricked my way in. Like I didn’t really belong. But here’s what I learned while dealing with it: 𝗡𝗼 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝘀 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 The first time I saw a senior leader openly say, “I don’t know the answer, but I’ll figure it out,” it changed everything for me. If they don’t have all the answers, why was I expecting myself to? 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗶𝘀 𝗢𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 Ever noticed how you see your mistakes under a microscope, but barely acknowledge your wins? Fact: Studies show that high performers often feel MORE self-doubt because they’re always raising their own bar. 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗞𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗗𝗼𝘂𝗯𝘁 𝗙𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 Every time I got stuck in self-doubt, I reminded myself: ✅ Instead of questioning if I belonged, I focused on learning. ✅ Instead of worrying about what others thought, I made sure to ask smart questions. ✅ Instead of feeling like I wasn’t good enough, I tracked every small win. 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗪𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱 Would you ever tell a friend, “You don’t deserve this job”? No? Then why do we say it to ourselves? Self-doubt thrives when you let it. Flip the script and give yourself the credit you’d give someone else. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗗𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 One day, I realized: No one was actually questioning my abilities except me. The more I delivered, the quieter that self-doubt became. The more I showed up, the more I felt like I belonged. 📍Here’s the Truth: Feeling like an imposter doesn’t mean you aren’t good enough. It means you care. It means you’re pushing yourself. And if you weren’t ready, you wouldn’t be here. #ImposterSyndrome #SelfDoubt #CareerGrowth #LessonsFromExperience

Yesterday, I was talking to a future marketing leader, and she mentioned how debilitating her imposter syndrome is for her. My response? "Yep. I deal with imposter syndrome almost daily. I call it head trash, but it's the same thing. I don't ever believe I'm doing enough or the right thing." It's essential to remember that most people deal with head trash. It's usually the same people you'd never expect... the strong operators, respected by their teams... the high-functioning leaders. It's extremely important to learn more about how to deal with self-doubt. I know it will never go away, but I also know it can be a superpower. It drives me to succeed. It drives me to learn. It drives me to win. So, let's learn together. Here are a few ideas to help deal with the head trash: Competence isn’t omniscience. Senior roles expand the quality of your questions, not eliminate them. Experts navigate ambiguity and make calls. Imposter feelings are data, not destiny. Sometimes they signal a skills gap to close. Sometimes they’re just the price of growth. Treat the feeling like a signal and investigate; you don't need to obey it. Write your “receipts.” Keep a living doc of wins, resolved issues, learned lessons, and kind notes. Review it before big meetings. Having evidence of your accomplishments will help quiet the noise. Raise the right standard. Zero ambiguity and zero errors aren’t realistic. Share before ready is a much better standard to set. Practice visible learning. Say “Here’s what I know, here’s what I’m testing, here’s the risk.” It builds trust and reduces the need to posture. Thanks to my therapist, here's a ritual you can steal: 30 seconds: Name the fear in one sentence. 30 seconds: List three receipts that contradict it. 30 seconds: Choose the smallest next step you’d take if you already felt confident. Do that. Imposter syndrome (also known as imposter syndrome or head trash) rarely disappears on command, but it becomes quieter when we gather evidence, share context, and move forward anyway. #neverstoplearning

I used to get jealous when I saw people brag about their accomplishments on LinkedIn. I understand why they do it, they're just going about it the wrong way. Highlighting your credibility helps build your personal brand which can build your bank account. But what if there was a way to show what you've achieved, while also displaying authenticity and empathy at the same time? There is, and I inadvertently created a three-step process for it. Whenever I share one my wins, I include the following: ‣ The thing I accomplished ‣ Something that occurred behind the scenes ‣ What can you learn from this experience that will help you For example: ‣ I was recently cast in a reality TV show ‣ I was told to dress a certain way for the premiere, I declined ‣ Rather than conforming to a culture, you can choose to contribute instead. ‣ I spoke at the Speak Your Way to cash event in Atlanta ‣ I forgot my belt so I had to make one out of two lanyards ‣ Being prepared is great, but sometimes you gotta improvise ‣ I interviewed Gary Vaynerchuk for Fiverr's series The Signal ‣ I was traveling at the time and had to ask ConvertKit to borrow their studio ‣ You’ll be amazed at who’s willing to help you, especially if you’ve nurtured the relationship These are all legit accomplishments. However, if I just focus on what I’ve done it doesn't help anyone but me. So try this out next time you have a big win (or even a small one) You’ll still get the acknowledgement. But if you help others along the way, you’ll gain fans and friends instead of followers and fakes. Plus, who’s going to share a post where someone else just brags about how great they are? ______ ♻️ If this post was helpful or inspiring, please share it and follow Terry Rice for more.

The day you stop rewarding your effort is the day you start doubting your progress. During career transitions, it’s easy to feel stuck when the big outcomes don’t arrive right away - whether that’s landing the job, signing your first client, or hitting a revenue goal. But those outcomes often take time and are influenced by factors outside your control. That’s why I encourage my clients to reward the effort, not the outcome. Here’s why it matters: 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Effort is within your control. Rejection or a slow start doesn’t equal failure, it just means timing wasn’t right. 𝗥𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 & 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗱𝗼𝘂𝗯𝘁: Redundancy, career change, or job loss can trigger feelings of low self-worth and imposter syndrome. If you measure success only by outcomes, rejection feels personal. When you celebrate effort, you remind yourself that progress is happening even if the big win hasn’t landed yet. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲: Rewarding effort keeps you curious enough to try new approaches. 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴-𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Transition into the next chapter can take time. Celebrating small wins builds positive habits that ultimately lead to the outcomes you want. So how do you make this practical? ➡️ 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲: Step 1: Set 3 to 5 weekly effort goals (e.g., update resume, LinkedIn, apply to two chosen aligned roles, reach out to three contacts, practise interview prep 20 mins, or prioritise self-care, walks, journal). 🌟 Reward the fact that you planned and committed to actions you can control. Step 2: Daily action tracking. Write down what you did, not just what happened. e.g., “Sent two applications, scheduled a coffee chat. Tick it off and acknowledge: Effort = Progress. 🌟 Reward yourself with a small daily ritual: a tea break, a walk, or simply saying, “Well done, I kept moving forward.” Step 3: Midweek check-in. e.g. Ask: Am I staying curious? What did I learn? Do I need to adapt my approach? 🌟 Reward curiosity itself, not whether it “worked.” Step 4: Weekly reflection (Friday) Capture what you tried, what you learned, what felt hardest, and what you’ll adjust. Celebrate: even if no job offers yet, you’re building resilience, confidence, and visibility. 🌟 Reward idea: treat yourself to a nice meal, time with loved ones, or your favourite activity. Step 5: Monthly reflection & reward (end of month). Look back on the month: notice progress in skills, networking, confidence. Celebrate the consistency of your effort. 🌟 Reward with something special, e.g. a new book, a short trip. P.S. What’s one effort you can reward yourself for this week? P.P.S. See comments for practical steps for transitioning into business/self employment. _______ ♻️ Repost to help someone in transition kickstart their new week.

69% of employees say they’d work harder if their efforts were better recognised. Yet, how many managers actually see their people? Last week, I met an old teammate and was reminded of a project that went south and how he helped get it back on track. And he said- Boss, you never recognised that effort. I felt a knot in my stomach and said… I’m sorry. I used to be the “quiet first-time manager”. The one who nodded in meetings assumed people knew I appreciated them. Now I have realised: recognition isn’t optional. It’s oxygen. Here’s what actually boosts morale, and what I wish I’d known as a first-time manager: 1) 𝐍𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐭, 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐝 𝐢𝐭. ↳ Call out the specific action, not just “great work.” 2) 𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝𝐥𝐲. ↳ A tiny success is the building block of confidence. 3) 𝐏𝐞𝐞𝐫-𝐭𝐨-𝐩𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞. ↳ Let teammates recognise each other, magic happens. 4) 𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧. ↳ An email or note lasts longer than a fleeting verbal compliment. 5) 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐲. ↳ Praise delayed is praise denied. 6) 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞. ↳ Show why the effort matters, not just that it matters. 7) 𝐀𝐬𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬. ↳ Recognition is personal; find their language. Yes, I sometimes forget all of these things, but I am more cautious now. 💡 The truth: It’s about feeling seen. So today, pause. Notice. Say it. Acknowledge. It costs nothing, but it might just change everything. Watch someone’s face light up. ---------------- Have a Joyful Weekend Thanks, Jayant

Can small gestures of #recognition transform employee morale? A simple "thank you" takes seconds to give but can reshape an employee's entire work experience. In high-pressure environments like logistics, where margins are tight and deadlines tighter, recognition isn't just nice, it's necessary. Some findings that support this: - Employees who feel recognized are 5x more likely to stay with their organization (Gallup) - Teams with strong recognition cultures see 31% lower voluntary turnover (Workhuman) - 69% of employees say they'd work harder if their efforts were better appreciated (O.C. Tanner) In logistics operations, recognition has measurable #operational #impacts: ➡️ For drivers: Spot bonuses for perfect safety records reduce preventable accidents by up to 27% ➡️ In warehouses: Public recognition of efficiency leaders improves average pick rates by 12% ➡️ Across teams: Peer-to-peer recognition programs decrease interdepartmental friction by 41% The most effective recognition follows three principles: 1️⃣ #Specificity: "Your creative routing solution saved 14 hours last week" lands better than "Good job" 2️⃣ #Timeliness: Recognition within 48 hours of the action has 3x the impact 3️⃣ #Authenticity: Scripted praise feels hollow; personalized notes show real appreciation The ROI is clear: Companies that excel at recognition are 12x more likely to have strong business outcomes. In an industry where every minute and dollar counts, that's not soft, it's strategic. #EmployeeEngagement #Leadership