Everyday Recognition
The Power of Everyday Recognition
Recognition is the acknowledgment of an individual’s or team’s behaviour, effort, and accomplishments that align with our goals and values. When done right, regular recognition builds trust, boosts performance and fosters an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued.
The Core Pillars of Meaningful Recognition
If you can clearly state what the person did, why it mattered, and how it aligns with our values, your recognition will land with impact. To ensure your appreciation lands meaningfully, keep these four areas in mind:
Make it Individualized
Frequency and specificity matter more than grand gestures. Don't wait for annual reviews—recognize people regularly, be precise about what they did, and tailor the delivery (public vs. private) to their personal preference.
Keep it Authentic
Sincerity creates impact; generic praise creates cynicism. Avoid broad phrases like "Great job, everyone." Instead, tie your appreciation directly to specific behaviours and outcomes using your own, natural voice.
Ensure Fairness
Perceived favoritism destroys trust. Look beyond physical proximity or high-visibility roles. Focus on observable contributions and encourage peer-to-peer recognition to celebrate the quiet wins you might otherwise miss.
Align with Our Values
Recognition is the loudest way to say, "This is what we value." Explicitly connect an employee's actions to university values and priorities to reinforce the positive behaviours you want to see repeated.
Your Everyday Recognition Toolkit
There are plenty of opportunities to embed recognition into daily work by using existing channels:
- 1:1 Check-ins & Team Meetings: Dedicate the first few minutes to celebrating recent wins.
- Project Debriefs: Highlight specific individual contributions that led to the project's success.
- Cross-Functional Praise: Encourage teams to recognize peers in other departments.
The quick-reference guides below provide additional tools, self-assessments and ready-to-use sentence starters you need to ensure your appreciation is always timely and authentic:
The Daily Recognition Toolkit: A Leader’s Guide to Building High-Impact Habits
A practical resource for managers and faculty leaders featuring a 10-point self-assessment, the Behaviour-Impact-Going forward (B.I.G.) feedback model, natural sentence starters, and 11 actionable, fairness-focused appreciation ideas designed to overcome common workplace hurdles and build recognition into your daily routine.
Peer Recognition: A Grassroots Guide to Making Work Better
A practical roadmap empowering faculty and staff to champion campus culture from the ground up by using a 10-point habit check-in, a three-step action blueprint, ready-to-use sentence starters, and 11 creative peer-to-peer appreciation ideas designed to elevate behind-the-scenes work and build an inclusive workplace where everyone feels they belong.
Ways to Recognize
Cards + E-Cards
Send an e-card or printed card to recognize your colleagues for their hard work, accomplishments and the positive impact they have.
Award Nominations
Nominate the deserving teammates you see are making a difference in your work team and in our communities!
Recognition Materials
If a tangible reward would help make your appreciation more impactful, a variety of official recognition materials is available for order.
Living Our Values Through Everyday Recognition
Values are only words until put into action, and daily recognition is what turns these principles into an uplifting culture. You can dive deeper into the framework behind these expectations by visiting Our Values, Our University.
Unwavering Curiosity
Devoted to Quacumque vera — “whatsoever things are true.”
This value centers on the spark behind courageous questions, bold discoveries, and an absolute commitment to intellectual integrity.
What to look for:
- Challenging the Status Quo: A colleague who asks "Why do we do it this way?" and seeks a more efficient path, even if it disrupts the norm.
- Interdisciplinary Bravery: Reaching actively across faculties and departments to discover a more complete truth by combining unique perspectives.
- Openness to Feedback: Someone who admits when they are wrong or when new data contradicts their original hypothesis, prioritizing truth over ego.
- Lifelong Learning: A faculty or staff member who proactively masters a new software or skill to solve a lingering problem.
How to recognize it:
- "I really admired how you handled that debate in the department meeting. You remained focused on the facts and helped us get to the root of the issue."
- "Thank you for your curiosity regarding our intake process. Your questions revealed a gap we hadn't seen before."
A Spirit of Community
Grounded in caring and respect.
This value champions psychological safety, collective growth, and ensuring our collaborative spaces elevate every voice.
What to look for:
- Active Inclusion: A chair or manager who deliberately ensures quiet voices are heard and included during meetings.
- Support During Adversity: A colleague who steps in to cover a class or assist with an urgent project for someone dealing with a personal crisis.
- Cross-Hierarchy Respect: Faculty treating staff as vital organizational partners; staff treating students with deep empathy and patience.
- Constructive Disagreement: Debating challenging ideas passionately without ever attacking the individual holding them.
How to recognize it:
- "I noticed how you made space for [Name of Person] to share their thoughts today. That kind of allyship builds a stronger team."
- "Thank you for the kindness you showed that student. You didn't just solve their administrative problem; you made them feel like they belong here."
Shared Accountability
For a sustainable future.
This value emphasizes stewardship — environmental, fiscal, and institutional — requiring us to act responsibly today to protect our university for tomorrow.
What to look for:
- Resource Stewardship: A colleague who identifies an innovative way to reduce waste (whether paper, energy, or budget) without sacrificing operational quality.
- Mentorship: Senior faculty or staff members investing intentional time into juniors, protecting the sustainable future of the department’s expertise.
- Ownership of Errors: Someone who openly states, "I dropped the ball on this, here is my plan to fix it," rather than shifting the blame.
- Long-Term Thinking: Making strategic choices that might be difficult or demanding right now but ensure institutional stability for the next decade.
How to recognize it:
- "I appreciate how you managed the budget for this project. You were incredibly responsible with our resources while still delivering results."
- "Thank you for mentoring the new hires. That isn't in your job description, but it is vital for the sustainable future of our unit."
The Tireless Pursuit of Impact
Through excellence in all we do.
This value focuses on high quality, dedicated follow-through, and shaping a better, stronger future for our campus and the wider world.
What to look for:
- Translation of Knowledge: Faculty taking research out of the laboratory setting and into the public sphere to solve real-world problems.
- Service Excellence: Faculty and staff who look beyond simply "processing a form" to actively improve the student or user experience.
- High Standards: A colleague who consistently refuses to settle for "good enough" and pushes a project until it is "great".
- Resilience: Continuing to push forward for a grant, a publication, or a major process improvement despite previous rejections or roadblocks.
How to recognize it:
- "The workshop you ran was more than just informative; it gave people tools they can use immediately. That is high-impact work."
- "I know how hard you worked to get that paper published. Your tireless commitment to excellence puts our department on the map."
If you need additional resources, customized ideas, or guidance for recognition, we’re happy to help! Visit Recognition in the Workplace or contact the Talent Management Team directly at talent.management@ualberta.ca.
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