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Recognition is one of those leadership skills everyone agrees is important—and almost no one feels fully confident doing. Most managers want to acknowledge good work, but they hesitate. They don’t want to interrupt. They don’t want to sound performative. They don’t want to get it wrong.
The result? Good work happens… and then disappears into the void.
This guide is about fixing that, simply and sustainably.
Why this matters
A short congrats note is one of the fastest ways to increase goodwill. It signals: “I noticed,” “I value this,” and “your effort mattered.” Most people remember these messages for a long time.
That staying power is exactly why congrats notes are so effective. They’re small, but they compound. Over time, they shape how people see their role, their manager, and the organization itself. When done well, they don’t just reward past effort—they influence future behavior.
What most people get wrong
They write something vague.
“Congrats!” is nice, but it doesn’t stick. Generic praise leaves people unsure what, exactly, they did right—or what they should repeat next time. The best notes do one simple thing: they make the recognition specific enough that the person feels truly understood.
A better approach: use a simple 3-part structure
The goal isn’t to write something long or poetic. The goal is clarity. When someone finishes reading your note, they should think: “They saw exactly what I did—and why it mattered.”
Here’s a structure that works:
Name the win (specific)
What happened, and what you’re recognizing.
Name the effort or behavior (what they did)
The choices, habits, or leadership that made it happen.
Name the impact (why it matters)
What it changed for customers, the team, speed, quality, or risk.
This structure works because it mirrors how people make meaning of their work. They want to know what happened, whether their effort was noticed, and how it contributed to something larger than themselves. When you hit all three—even briefly—the message lands.
Make it even better with one personal line
Add one sentence that connects it to them:
“This felt like classic you — calm under pressure / high standards / strong ownership.”
That personal signal is what turns recognition from “nice” into memorable.
A quick template you can reuse
If you want to make this effortless, reuse language. Templates remove friction and make it easier to send the note while the moment is still fresh.
“Congrats on ___.
I really appreciated how you ___.
It made a difference because ___.
You should feel proud — that was excellent.”
You don’t need to overthink tone or polish. A few clear sentences, sent at the right moment, almost always outperform a longer message that never gets written.
A few optional “bonus” moves
Once you’re comfortable with the basics, you can layer in a few small upgrades—only when they genuinely help the person being recognized.
- CC their manager (only if it helps them)
- Share it in a team channel when it teaches what “good” looks like
- If it was hard-earned, name the difficulty (“I know that took real persistence.”)
- If it’s a milestone, connect it forward (“This sets you up really well for ___.”)
Why this works at scale
At scale, these small moments shape culture. When people consistently hear what “good” looks like—and see that it’s noticed—they’re more likely to repeat it, model it, and pass it on to others. That’s how recognition stops being a task and starts becoming part of how work gets done.
If you want to go deeper with your team, we also offer a self-guided workshop on Celebrating Wins for $249. If you want more info on the workshop or other toolkits we offer, simply respond here.
