All too often a manager makes the unintentional lapse in judgement by not recognizing an employee for going above and beyond. Making this type of mistake can be costly for businesses. At times, this is the beginning of a voluntary end for a high performing employee. The path from highly engaged to disengaged is sometimes distorted. So many times, without the knowledge of the manager, the employee has checked out, lacking motivation and spiritually crushed.

Until now, nothing has been documented about the causes for a manager’s inability to recognize employees in a timely manner. The manager’s environment could be stressful and distracting. One way managers could prevent negative outcomes is to understand the ways employees process information. This would prepare the manager to be aware of abnormal team dynamics, gain greater control over responses and recognize the contributions of others. A high-stress work environment should actually inspire opportunities to boost employee morale with opportunities to succeed, feel valued and respected.

These attributes are essential for high performance and strong morale. In a world where the ability to access and leverage top talent is a competitive advantage, recognizing employees to drive strategic outcomes makes sense.