4 ways to ensure employee recognition hits the mark

If your company's culture has become divisive -- especially over the past five years or so -- it may be time to revisit and realign your core values with your current workforce, writes Patrick Lencioni, president of The Table Group. There are two ways to heal any current divisions, Lencioni writes: either pull back from all social issues or pick those that resonate with company values and be okay with losing employees who disagree with either move.

Put it into practice: If company culture has become divisive, leaders should have a candid talk with their executive team before deciding whether to pull back from issues the company has supported in the past or keep that support in place, Lencioni advises. "Either of those choices will lead to a stronger and more unified culture and preserve the dignity of employees."

Being thoughtful and intentional about how and when you recognize your employees for a job well done can boost loyalty and retention, writes Mike Szczesny the owner and vice president of EDCO Awards & Specialties. Szczesny offers four ways to perfect the art of appreciation including making it personalized, consistent and aligned with cultural values.

Put it into practice: Employees recognize when their boss uses a "one-size-fits-all" form of recognition, Szczesny notes, so personalizing the appreciation will show employees that you know them. "Thoughtfully designed awards that incorporate elements that reflect the recipient's achievements and personality resonate on a deeper level."

When false or defamatory information spreads about your company, leaders should think strategically about their response and realize that not responding is only a good option if responding adds fuel to an issue that otherwise could blow over quickly, writes Meghan Tisinger, vice president of Leidar. When a response is needed, address the primary source of the misinformation and not social media outlets that may have already distorted the information further, Tisinger advises.

Put it into practice: When deciding if it's best to respond to false information about your company, consider whether the source is credible, the size of the audience, if the information is out of context and whether a response would benefit your business in the long run, Tisinger advises. "When it comes to communications, the priority should always be to affirm your company's mission and the core values that shape your culture and work."

Jim Fish, the CEO of Waste Management, says he didn't really know what he wanted to do in his life until the age of 50, but along the way, he credits mentors who helped him find his way and warns other leaders to check themselves whenever they feel like they're the most brilliant one in the room. "Once you start feeling like, 'You know what? I am the best,' you should reflect a bit because, first of all, that doesn't come off very well, and second, it's probably not true," Fish says.

Coffea arabica, the species that makes up 60% to 70% of the world's coffee, emerged about 600,000 years ago in Ethiopia from natural crossbreeding of Coffea canephora and Coffea eugenioides, according to a genetic family tree published in Nature Genetics. Researchers focused on a variety of arabica that resists coffee leaf rust, costing the industry billions of dollars each year, and identified genetic code that could shield the plant from the rust.

Linda F. sent in this photo of Milo, a poodle born in 2020. Linda reports that he has "a gentle, playful temperament with some poodle pride." 

"His favorite places to sleep are at the foot of the bed while accompanying my partner in his stay at home work, in the sun and sometimes on the floor in the middle of the room if exhausted after a trip to the park," Linda writes.

And, as the only dog in the house, that bone is all his!

What non-human companions keep you company at work or greet you when you get home? Share their photos with us!

I don't know about anyone else, but I am eternally grateful that scientists are working on ways to safeguard coffee plants from the threat of pests and climate change. "Arabica" is one of my favorite words, especially when it's in a cup in front of me each morning.

Hope your day is fabulous!

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