CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
When was the last time you thanked someone for a job well done?
We get busy with our daily lives and we stop recognizing our people for all the great work they are doing for our freedom. Recognizing our people should be one of our top priorities as supervisors and leaders. Recognition is a powerful tool for leadership to empower their members to continue performing at such a great standard and to strive for further recognition.
By recognizing our people, they get a sense of accomplishment and will strive to achieve greater things. People need to know they are not performing a routine or thankless job and they need the reassurance that they are doing something worthwhile and means a lot to someone other than themselves. Everyone wants to know they are doing a good job, and it means a lot to the individual to hear it every once in a while. The recognition you give to them will give them a sense of pride and ownership in what they are doing.
Recognition is a formal acknowledgement, admission as a fact, approval or gratitude of an individual's accomplishment that leadership and management should practice. It could be a simple statement of fact such as "keep up the great work." Most of the time, recognition comes in the form of being nominated for awards and they are presented formally to the individual winners; however, what about those who were nominated and did not receive the award? They are still winners and should be recognized in their respective organizations in front of their co-workers. This recognition will reinforce the outstanding performance.
How often do you simply say "thank you" to someone in your organization for giving everything they have to achieve the mission? A kind word goes a long way a lot of the time because it makes the individual realize you are noticing how they are performing and that someone actually cares about them. Everyone wants to be needed and to do the best they can in their endeavors. People like to be recognized for a job well done and, if we are not providing that recognition to them, then we are doing a disservice to our people.
Every organization should have a way of recognizing their Airmen. There is not one single way to recognize individuals in an organization. For example, some may recognize Airmen who score 90s or above on their career development courses or individuals who score an "excellent" on their physical fitness test. Recognition may come in the form of an award, pass or monetary incentives based on their appraisals.
The question supervisors and leaders should be asking is, "Do I provide our people with an incentive to continue the outstanding service and contributions they are providing to America?" The next time you see someone going out of their way to achieve the mission, recognize them because they deserve it. Thank you for all you do on a daily basis.