Acknowledge a Colleague's Work Without Being Awkward

Last week you observed, mapped influence, and analyzed decision-making. All information gathering. This week you start building and maintaining relationships intentionally.

Today's action is simple: identify one colleague who did something well recently, and tell them.

Not to manipulate them. Not to get something in return. Because workplace relationships matter during uncertain times, and people remember who acknowledged their work when no one else did.

Why Compliments Build Real Relationships

When layoffs happen, managers sometimes ask around: "Who would you want to keep if you had to choose?" The people who get mentioned aren't always the most technically skilled. They're the people others like working with.

Being someone colleagues appreciate and value isn't about being the most talented. It's about being generous, noticing others' work, and making their work experience better.

Genuine acknowledgment builds relationship capital. Not the manipulative kind where you fake compliments to get ahead. The real kind where you notice good work and say so, which makes people trust you and want to work with you again.

This matters when times are tough. People advocate for colleagues they respect and appreciate. They don't advocate for people who ignore them or who only interact when they need something.

What Makes a Compliment Genuine vs. Manipulative

Manipulative compliments:

• Praise something you don't actually think was good
• Compliment someone because you need a favor from them soon
• Generic flattery that could apply to anyone ("you're so great at your job")
• Over-the-top praise that doesn't match the achievement

Genuine compliments:

• Acknowledge specific work you actually noticed and appreciated
• Based on real observation, not strategy
• Proportional to the achievement (don't praise minor work like it's extraordinary)
• Given without expecting anything in return

You can tell the difference between these. So can the person receiving the compliment.

Identify One Person and One Specific Thing

Think about the last week or two. Who did something that:

• Made your work easier
• Solved a problem well
• Helped someone else
• Demonstrated skill or effort
• Produced a good result

This doesn't need to be extraordinary. You're not looking for heroic achievements. You're looking for competent, helpful work that deserves acknowledgment but probably didn't get it.

Examples:

Your IT colleague fixed a tech issue quickly when you were on a deadline.

Your teammate organized the project notes so they're actually usable now.

Someone in another department responded to your question thoroughly instead of giving you a two-word answer.

A colleague handled a difficult client situation professionally.

Someone stayed late to help finish work that wasn't technically their responsibility.

Pick one person. One specific thing they did. That's all you need.

Write a Brief, Specific Acknowledgment

Don't overthink this. Two or three sentences.

Template: "I wanted to let you know [specific thing] really helped/was well done. [Brief explanation of impact]. Thanks for [what they did]."

Examples:

"Hey - I wanted to let you know that fixing my laptop issue so quickly yesterday really saved me. I was on a tight deadline and would have been stuck without your help. Thanks for making it a priority."

"The way you organized the project files this week made everything so much easier to find. It used to take me 10 minutes to locate documents, now it takes 30 seconds. Appreciate you taking the time to structure it properly."

"I noticed how you handled that client call yesterday when they were frustrated. You stayed calm and professional, and by the end they were cooperative. That's not easy to do. Nice work."

What these have in common:

• Specific about what the person did
• Explains why it mattered or what impact it had
• Brief - under 50 words
• Natural language, not formal or flowery

How to Deliver It

In person (if you work on-site): Stop by their desk or catch them in a common area. Say it conversationally. Then move on. Don't wait for a long response or make it awkward.

Via email: Send a brief email with the acknowledgment. No subject line tricks needed - "Quick thanks" or their name works fine. Keep it short like the examples above.

Via Slack/Teams: Direct message works. Same brief format. Not in a public channel unless that's normal in your workplace culture.

Which method? Whatever feels most natural for how you normally communicate with this person. If you never talk in person, don't suddenly appear at their desk. If you usually chat via messaging, use that.

What Not to Do

Don't copy their manager unless you're already planning to send your manager a similar email about team contributions. Making it public changes the dynamic from "I noticed your work" to "I'm reporting your work to authority."

Don't follow up with a request. If you compliment someone's work today and ask them for a favor tomorrow, it looks transactional even if that wasn't your intention. Let the acknowledgment stand alone.

Don't praise everything they do. One specific acknowledgment is valuable. If you start complimenting every small thing, it loses meaning and seems insincere.

Don't wait for the perfect moment. This week. One person. One thing. Done.

Why This Works

Most good work goes unacknowledged. People complete tasks, solve problems, help others - and no one says anything unless something goes wrong.

When you notice and acknowledge good work, you stand out. Not because acknowledgment is rare (though it is). Because it signals you pay attention to others' contributions, not just your own.

This creates reciprocity without keeping score. People who feel appreciated are more likely to:

• Help you when you need it
• Speak positively about you when you're not there
• Collaborate willingly on future work
• Remember you favorably during uncertain times

You're not building relationships to use people. You're building relationships because work is better, easier, and more secure when you have colleagues who respect and appreciate you.

Send One Acknowledgment This Week

Identify one person who did something specific that deserves acknowledgment. Write 2-3 sentences. Send it today or tomorrow.

Don't wait until Friday. Don't wait until you remember something more impressive. One person, one thing, this week.

Next week you'll practice a different relationship-building action. This week it's simple: notice good work and say so.

The colleagues who survive difficult periods aren't always the ones with the best technical skills. They're the ones other people want to keep around because working with them is better than working without them.

One genuine compliment this week starts building that reputation.