How Workplace Recognition Impacts Performance & Wellbeing

Cathie Leimbach • July 25, 2023

The recognition employees receive at work has a significant impact on their wellbeing – how well they feel their lives are going.


However, most employees do not feel adequately recognized at work for their performance, their efforts, or for being a valuable person. For people to have good mental health and be strong workplace performers, organizations need to place more importance on employee recognition and managers need to express appreciation more often and effectively.


Recent Gallup/Workhuman research indicates that 76% of those who feel they receive great recognition at work are high performers, 72% of them indicate they are thriving in life, and 37% of them are job searching.

63% of those who feel they receive inconsistent recognition at work are high performers, 58% or thriving in life, and nearly half of them (47%) are job searching.


However, only 33% of those who feel they receive poor recognition at work are high performers, only 39% are thriving in life, and 67% are job searching.


Many managers believe that recognition should only be given to employee who are achieving 100% of workplace expectations. However, individuals won’t become high performers if they aren’t acknowledged for the things they are doing right and supported to become better in their weak areas. Even poor performers overall should receive praise for the things they are doing right at work. They should receive friendly hellos in the morning. Those with good attendance can be acknowledged for being reliable. In the rare instances where an employee is not doing anything right, why are they still on the payroll?



Being recognized (noticed, appreciated, praised) enhances employees’ quality of life and workplace performance. Managers have a responsibility to regularly recognize their employees as valued human beings who are essential for organizational success.

Which day this week will you individually praise each one of your employees for one of their recent workplace successes?

How Could You Create a 5-10% Productivity Shift? 

By Cathie Leimbach • February 3, 2026
When it comes to improvement at work, the focus is often on big changes. But frequently, it’s small shifts that quietly create big results. Productivity rarely improves without strong leadership practices. So, what if better leadership increased productivity by just 5-10%? That could mean: Less rework Faster decisions More follow-through Less firefighting More output — without more people That’s not wishful thinking. When leadership improves, absenteeism and turnover drop. Work flows more smoothly. Results, and the bottom line, improve.  When leaders get clearer, communicate better, and follow through more consistently, friction fades. People know what matters. Decisions move faster. Energy shifts from fixing problems to getting real work done. Organizations that invest in leadership development often see: Higher output Lower turnover Better use of talent Stronger momentum The real shift happens when leaders stop asking, “ Should we invest in leadership ?” and start asking, “ What is it costing us not to ?” 👉 Join our 60-minute Leadership Conversation to see what a 10–15% shift could mean for your organization.

Why New Tools Don’t Change Behavior

By Cathie Leimbach • January 27, 2026
New tools promise big results. New software, dashboards, and systems all look great on paper. But months later, many leaders are still asking, “Why hasn’t much changed?” Because tools don’t change behavior — leadership does. A system can organize work, but it can’t create ownership. It can’t set expectations. It can’t follow through. Without strong leadership habits, even the best tools just make problems more visible. What really drives results? Clear expectations Consistent follow-through Helpful feedback Leaders who model the right behavior When those are missing, people work around the tool instead of with it. Adoption drops. Frustration rises. And the old problems stay. So the better question isn’t, “What tool do we need next?” It’s, “Do our leadership habits support the results we expect?”  👉 Join our 60-minute Leadership Conversation to explore the habits that actually drive performance.