Recognition

Echo

When you yell ‘echo,’ whose voice responds?

In the right environment, we can create an echo by deploying our voice so that it reverberates and returns to us as if shouted by another person located some distance away.

We can take for granted that we generate echoes in our world. We can communicate out, and there are those who respond quickly and with affirmation or empathy as needed. But what happens when those voices cease to respond?

How often do you celebrate and nurture the voices on the other side of the echo? Do you develop a symbiotic relationship, or is it one-sided? What if you made time to prioritize your echo reflectors and make sure they are recognized for the essential role they play in your work?

Icebreaker

Quick icebreaker activity for your team. Provide a timeframe (3 months, 1 year, duration of board service term, etc.) and ask each individual to write down an event, milestone, or moment that they are personally looking forward to reaching. Place these on an internal calendar (as best you can) and then acknowledge them as they are achieved, passed, or become evident.

The organization’s highlights are not always the same as those of the individual team members. Recognizing individual milestones helps add a shared sense of service and accomplishment. As an added bonus, it is a nice way to start a meeting and build deeper connections.