The Power and Utility of Recognition
When you work on a software development team (or probably any professional team) it’s incredibly easy to go down into your own little rabbit hole, consumed by your personal world of deliveries and commitments, and forget that there are other people around you, constantly helping move you and your work forward. But by recognizing this, and them, you will discover a powerful tool for of team building and problem solving that can motivate and improve everyone you work with… and you.
Kudos
On our team, we have a regular exercise called “Kudos.” Here’s how it works:
At the end of every Sprint, we have a Retro ceremony, where we talk about what went well, what didn’t, and things we want to do to improve. At the end of that ceremony, everyone gives Kudos.
What’s a Kudos?
No person is an island, as the saying goes. Everyone, in every sprint, receives help and support — in one form or another — from at least one other person. At the end of retro, you give kudos to that person, for the specific thing they did or helped you with. On our team, every single member must give at least one kudos to at least one person. No one makes it through a sprint alone, so let’s recognize even the tiniest little thing that someone did to help you move forward.
How do I Kudos?
Any way you want. On our team, Kudos are written into a common digital whiteboard, and then read aloud by the scrum master. They are not anonymous… everyone gets to hear who gave and received Kudos, and for what. There are only two rules:
- Everyone must give kudos
- Kudos should be targeted, for a specific action. Saying someone was general awesome in the sprint leads to kudos having no meaning
- The person you give kudos too can be on or outside the team, and the scrum master delivers that recognition to people who aren’t in the meeting.
That’s it, you’re ready to Kudos! But hold on…
Why Kudos?
A few reasons. First, Kudos make people feel good, help build relationships, and assure them that the things they do aren’t going unnoticed. This simple act can be incredibly motivating for people, and keep them interested and engaged with the team.
Second, Kudos can be used to affect improvement in team members, by reinforcing behaviors or actions that someone might not even have realized were helpful.
For example, you might give kudos to someone for making space for you to talk in a meeting or discussion. This not only recognizes that person, but also contains a not-very-hidden message: we should all make room for each other to be heard. It might also evidence or articulate a problem that people are aware of, but is hard to approach… like, in the above example, when people on the team aren’t making room for each other to be heard. Positive recognition can have powerful effects on negative behavior, and promote the ways we all want our teams to function
Advanced Kudos
On our teams, once we get into the habit of doing Kudos, we introduce the concept of Sprint MVP. This is the person that received the most kudos for that sprint. Treated the right way, this can become an honor that team members aspire to, by observing the things people are being thanked for, and trying to emulate those behaviors. And emulating positive team behaviors, for any reason, is good for everyone on the team.