With regard to informal recognition, I once called on a consulting client (a “Fortune 50″ company) and while being escorted from the reception area to the CEO’s office by his administrative assistance, as we walked past one office, I stopped when I saw through the open door a framed “something” on the wall. It was the office of a senior vice president and he was not there. “Everyone notices that,” she said. “Here, take a look.” I examined what was under the glass: more than a dozen multi-colored Post-its, each personally inscribed with brief, congratulatory comments addressed to “Warren” for a winning proposal, an excellent presentation, etc. “He’s so proud of those little notes that he went out and got them all framed.”

I cannot say that “Warren” would rather have the Post-its than a new Cadillac but that’s beside the point anyway. Everyone appreciates being recognized. They welcome appreciative recognition. The 74% of managers who deny or ignore those facts are making a very, very serious mistake.

In The Carrot Principle, Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton explain how to establish and then sustain a “carrot culture.” They organize their material within three Parts: The Accelerator (i.e. leadership needed to establish and then sustain a “carrot culture”), Carrot Culture (i.e. its design, “building blocks,” and operations), and Managing by Carrots (i.e. determining the nature, extent, and funding of awards). They provide managers with a cohesive, comprehensive, and cost-effective program by which to “engage their people, retain talent, and accelerate performance.”

According to recent Gallup research, only 29% of the U.S. workforce is positively engaged (i.e. loyal, enthusiastic, and productive) whereas 55% is passively disengaged. That is, they are going through the motions, doing only what they must, “mailing it in,” coasting, etc. What about the other 16%? They are “actively disengaged,” doing whatever they can to undermine their employer’s efforts to succeed.

So, a combination of formal (institutional) and informal (situational) recognition “accelerates business results. It amplifies the effect of every action and quickens every process. It also heightens your ability to see employee achievements, sharpens your communication skills, creates cause for celebration, boosts, trust between you and your employees, and improves accountability.” Those who read this book and then decide to introduce or revise a recognition program will need the convincing, indeed compelling support for doing so that Gostick and Elton provide in their brilliant book.

I presume to add that establishing and then sustaining a carrot culture requires recognition initiatives that create a climate of appreciation. Don’t wait until you have recruited an army of those who share your vision, don’t wait until a full-blown program is in place. Show your appreciation now, at every appropriate opportunity, if only with a brief expression of praise.