It’s Usually One Small Thing
"I showed up with flowers for a co-worker a couple days after your workshop," a woman told me recently.
She had attended a leadership workshop I did last April, where I talked about how recognition is one of the most underrated and significant motivators in the workplace. I had not crossed paths with her again until she showed up for The Writing Room, a writing workshop I offered to the local community this past month.
And before we ever got to the writing part, she dove in and shared about all the gratitude that spread through her in different directions after my springtime workshop.
"She was like 'what is this?!'" the woman went on. "I think my co-worker thought it was strange to get flowers. But it was also very fun, and I really was grateful for her."
"Thank you for sharing that!" I responded. It was amazing to hear something come back around from a workshop I had largely forgotten about.
Before I could say more, she continued.
"And I did the same thing for my kids. I was like 'thank you thank you thank you' to each of them for different things, and they were like 'whaaaa…?'"
She smiled. "They did not know what was happening, but I meant it. I am grateful for them."
I laughed. Recognition and gratitude can feel strange for the giver and receiver alike when it's not the norm.
(And it's less normal than we might even realize. When Gallup recently asked managers whether they recognize good work, 59% strongly agreed. Among the people who report to them, only 35% strongly agreed that their managers recognized them for their good work.¹)
"And actually," the woman added, "a few days after your workshop, I told our local school administration that they should really think about thanking all the parent volunteers. I even cited the research you shared about recognition and workplace motivation. I told them they should make graduation-like certificates for all the parents and hand them out at graduation."
"Creative!" I responded.
"Yes, well, and they did it, and gave them out at the May ceremony. And the parents loved it. There are so many moms who spend all their time pouring into their children by volunteering at the school. They danced when they got their certificate. It meant a lot to them to be seen."
And I sat back in my chair. Stunned.
"Like a ripple," she eventually said. "You want to change the world, and it's usually just one small thing. Or a few small things."
And now here we were in another room. Another workshop. The third-floor conference room of our local library, where we wrote short, 10-minute pieces with pen and paper. Small things.
And, no lie, I wondered if we were not changing the world.
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¹ Gallup, "7 Workplace Challenges for 2025": https://www.gallup.com/workplace/654329/workplace-challenges-2025.aspx
Also on Recognition: Great Place To Work analyzed 1.7 million employee survey responses from 2018 to 2020. Among several positive outcomes, people who feel recognized were 2.2x more likely to bring new ideas forward and 2.0x more likely to say people are willing to go above and beyond. Which is to say, recognition cultivates a genuine belief in possibility - ever the starting place (again and again) of the best ripples around. https://www.greatplacetowork.com/resources/blog/creating-a-culture-of-recognition
