Recognize Your Team This Holiday Season in a Way They’ll Actually Appreciate
With the holiday season comes a to-do item on every leader’s list: recognize my team.
As a career and leadership coach, I’ve heard many stories about leaders missing the mark. Take Annie, who worked at a large creative agency in New York City. Everyone on her team received a GoPro camera. It was an expensive gift, sure, but she wasn’t going to use it. She came to our next coaching session feeling like her manager didn’t see or appreciate her at all. Another client, Camille, received an envelope tied up in a big purple bow from her manager. Inside was a measly $10 gift certificate to the expensive restaurant down the street.
Too often, leaders give gifts to recognize their employees during the holiday season—and it backfires. What’s intended as a gesture of appreciation instead leaves team members frustrated and resentful.
While gift-giving is a go-to, it is not the most effective or only way to show genuine appreciation during the holidays.
Here are three steps to recognize your team in a way that will truly reach them. (Whether or not you're a leader, you can apply these principles to show your colleagues appreciation this month!):
1. What's your goal?
Ask yourself: What do I want to accomplish through this recognition? Do you want to…
Celebrate specific contributions from the year?
Energize your team for what’s to come?
Thank the team for sticking through uncomfortable change?
Commemorate a particular milestone you reached together?
Holiday appreciation is not just an annual box to check on your to-do list—it’s an opportunity to meaningfully connect. Get clear on your intention and use that as a starting point.
2. Consider wider options
Gifts are only one form of recognition. Spending money isn’t actually required to express your gratitude. As Will Guidara, a leader in the restaurant industry and author of the book Unreasonable Hospitality says, “It’s not the cost of the gesture that matters—it’s how it makes people feel.”
Focus on how you want your team to feel, and consider these other forms of appreciation to spark that feeling:
Words: It is a powerful thing for your people to feel seen and heard by their leader. Aligning with the purpose that you identified above, put together some words that convey a genuine message about their unique contribution to the team. You can share it in writing through a handwritten note or a thoughtful email, or verbally in a one-on-one meeting or publicly at the all-hands meeting.
Support: Grab an extra hot chocolate or send a meal delivery gift card when you know they’re consumed by a deadline, or help out with a work project that means something to them. A leader I worked with made a point to roll up her sleeves and ask a team member who was responsible for a big year-end event, “How can I help?” When her direct report saw his leader copying and folding handouts, he felt valued and respected. It was affirmation that his project was important and seen by his leader.
Mentorship: Take your team member out to a one-on-one lunch. As their manager, you hold the golden key to their growth. This time together is more informal and personal than a regular one to one or review—it’s an opportunity to ask questions about their interests and goals, and listen deeply to what they share. Understanding their ambitions means that you can help open the right doors or help them prepare to confidently walk through those doors when the time is right.
Opportunities: Invite a team member to sit on a committee, lead a project, or represent your team in a way that gives them greater visibility across the company. Stretch assignments and learning opportunities show that you genuinely care about your direct reports’ professional growth—and that’s one of the greatest gifts a leader can give.
Finally, gifts: If you choose to give a gift to express your appreciation, be sure that it is aligned with your purpose. Go beyond generic swag or the company-wide gift and choose something that is personal to each team member. But beware that gifts can be a thorny area, and consider things like industry regulations, company policies, and making gifts personalized but equitable across your team.
3. Individualize your approach.
Appreciation is not one-size-fits-all. One leader I worked with, Abel, learned this the hard way—he publicly recognized his two direct reports at the office celebration. One felt so proud to have the spotlight on her in front of the team while the other felt totally embarrassed. It wasn’t until Abel took this report out to lunch to discuss growth opportunities that her shoulders came down and she truly felt seen. For one individual, a one-on-one meal might be terrifying, for another it might be just the thing to help them thrive.
Consider what you know about the individuals on your team. You can also ask directly: How do you like to receive praise and recognition at work? Choose the mode of appreciation that feels most suited to each person.
As you prepare to recognize your team’s hard work this year, make sure you are clear on the purpose behind your appreciation. Even if your company gives one-size-fits-all generic swag, take the time to personally share your gratitude with each team member in a way that will reach them. They’ll step into the holidays feeling more connected and engaged—and ready to tackle what’s coming in the new year.
