The Power Of Positive Reinforcement

A vital discipline to acquire as a leader is getting into the habit of providing continuous positive feedback and reinforcement.

Feedback can take several forms, formal and structured to casual and unstructured, but sometimes a simple thank-you, an encouraging remark at the beginning of a meeting or even just a thumbs-up or a Like on Slack or Teams is all it takes.

And when you consider that most people secretly carry varying degrees of impostor syndrome, the momentary act by a manager or leader of offering a simple acknowledgement or word of encouragement can be surprisingly potent, with huge returns for a marginal effort and investment of your time.

It’s easy to become a passenger in your own calendar, so unless you deliberately set aside time to sweep through your internal social channels to pick up on what’s been happening or share your perspectives (which are essential duties in their own right), it’s common for leaders and executives to quickly become absent from these internal discussions and threads. This can be corrosive to culture and team morale in several ways.

So, I would strongly recommend checking in on Slack 3-4 times a day at a minimum to quickly scan through and catch up on what’s been happening, but also to systematically thank, Like or acknowledge as many team wins, customer stories, ideas, and insights as possible.

As a leader, you should never underestimate the power and weight of your words or actions. Or the absence of them.

Even just a 👍.

Plus, it’s just basic kindness to show gratitude and appreciation.