Recently, a team I was working with was in the thick of a brutal project launch with tight deadlines, shifting priorities, and zero room for error.
You know the kind I’m talking about. You’ve been there. The kind of pressure cooker that usually ends in burnout and blame.
But this time, I encouraged the team lead to try something new.
Every Friday, she set aside 15 minutes to recognize three people. That’s it.
Three Slack messages.
Three specific shoutouts.
No trophies. No gift cards. Just words that meant something.
Like calling out the analyst who triple-checked a dataset that saved them from a customer-facing error.
Or thanking the designer who quietly stayed late to align a wonky slide deck before the executive meeting.
Or spotlighting the intern who asked the hard question that made them rethink their whole approach.
Every message was tied back to team values. Clear. Timely. Specific.
And something remarkable happened.
People started nominating each other.
Meetings got sharper.
Tension went down.
Momentum went up.
By the end of the quarter, performance had improved, and so had morale.
They didn’t feel like cogs in a machine. They felt like a team again.
That’s what a culture of recognition looks like.
It’s not performative. It’s not expensive.
It’s a system for seeing people and helping them stay connected to what matters most.
Culture Doesn’t Scale Itself
Here’s the deal: recognition is not a “nice to have.”
It’s one of your most powerful tools for driving performance and reinforcing culture as you grow.
Especially if you’re a mid-level comms leader, people ops pro, or manager caught in the messy middle.
You’re already holding the line: translating strategy, fixing messaging misses, and trying to keep humans from slipping through the cracks.
What if you didn’t have to muscle through it all alone?
What if you had a repeatable way to embed the culture you want into your day-to-day work?
That’s what recognition done right gives you.
So What Is a Culture of Recognition?
It’s not monthly awards that feel like popularity contests.
It’s not an email template your HRIS sends out automatically when someone hits their anniversary. (Although, to be clear, neither of these things is bad….they just shouldn’t be the whole enchilada.)
A true culture of recognition is consistent, strategic, and aligned with your values.
It helps people:
- Understand what “great” looks like here.
- See that their efforts actually matter.
- Feel emotionally connected to their team and the mission.
Recognition isn’t just about grand gestures. It’s about clarity and connection.
Why It Breaks Down (and How to Rebuild It)
As companies scale, recognition often gets sanitized.
The handwritten note turns into a boilerplate message.
The meaningful “thank you” becomes a checkbox on a performance review form.
But you can bring it back to life without needing permission or a new platform.
Here’s how:
1. Start with real words, not fluffy ones
Get specific. “Your note to the client de-escalated what could’ve been a disaster. That’s the kind of trust-building we want more of.”
Be human. Be clear. Be real.
2. Make it visible (but not cringey)
Feature team wins in channels people actually pay attention to.
Think: a Monday meeting spotlight, a Friday “wins roundup” Slack thread, or a 60-second reel on your internal socials.
Don’t just highlight what was done—highlight why it mattered and tie it back to a specific value.
3. Let recognition be reciprocal
Create space for peer shoutouts. Bonus points if you make it low-lift:
- Slack emoji threads
- Anonymous kudos boxes
- Weekly team check-in prompts
When recognition flows sideways, not just top-down, you get more ownership, more connection, and fewer “quiet quitters.”
4. Tie it to your culture, always
Recognition should reinforce the behaviors and values you truly want to see more of.
If “collaboration” is a value, call it out when someone bridges teams to solve a problem.
Over time, people start self-calibrating. The culture starts to carry itself.
One Practice, Big Shift
This isn’t about adding another thing to your to-do list.
This is about embedding a simple, strategic habit that scales culture as your team grows.
Start small:
- Write one meaningful recognition note this week.
- Start a shoutout thread in your team Slack.
- Open your next meeting with a spotlight story.
Because here’s the truth: you don’t need a new job title or a bigger team to influence culture.
You just need to make it visible. Repeatable. And real.
Recognition is how you show your people they matter before they ask if they do.
And when you do that well, your people won’t just stay. They’ll step up.
