If what you reward contradicts what you say you value, don’t be surprised by the culture you get.

Every organization claims to care about culture.
But if you want to know what really matters—don’t read the values. Watch the recognition.

Because what gets rewarded gets repeated.
And what gets overlooked gets lost.

In most high-performance environments, recognition is everywhere. Spot bonuses. Sales awards. Leaderboards. Internal shoutouts.

But scratch the surface, and a pattern emerges:

• Revenue over relationships
• Visibility over contribution
• Speed over sustainability
• Output over values

The applause you give shapes the behavior you get. So what exactly are you clapping for?

Recognition isn’t a perk. It’s a culture shaper.

When done right, recognition is one of the most powerful behavioral levers in an organization.

But when it’s:

• Vague
• Transactional
• Over-personalized
• Disconnected from strategy

…it stops being useful—and starts undermining the culture you’re trying to build.

In our Culture Transformation work, we help leaders shift recognition from a feel-good gesture to a strategic feedback loop.

Because recognition, done well, doesn’t just say “thank you.” It says “do this again.”

Why most recognition programs quietly backfire

Take the common “Top Performer” award.

It’s clear. It’s visible. But it usually rewards one thing: individual output.

The cost?

• Collaboration suffers
• Risky behavior is ignored if it delivers results
• Quiet excellence goes unnoticed
• Trust takes a hit, especially among underrepresented groups

Now imagine if you spotlighted the team member who:

• Flagged a reputational risk early
• Mentored a peer behind the scenes
• Walked away from a high-revenue deal that violated your values

That’s culture in action. And that’s what people remember.

What the data says about meaningful recognition

• Gallup: The most effective recognition is authentic, values-linked, and personalized
• SHRM: Recognition aligned to company values correlates with lower turnover and higher engagement
• Bersin by Deloitte: Companies that tie recognition to culture are 12x more likely to drive strong business outcomes

The takeaway?

Don’t just celebrate performance. Celebrate the how—not just the what.

Five ways to fix recognition (without watering it down)

1. Link every recognition moment to a value

Use a recognition matrix to tie wins to both business impact and behavior.

“Sam delivered the deal and modeled our accountability value by owning the post-sale handoff.”

2. Celebrate the quiet wins

Introverts, behind-the-scenes contributors, and unsung team roles often carry the culture. Create peer-to-peer systems that make them visible.

3. Break the ‘top 1’ mentality

High-performance doesn’t have to mean exclusivity. Shift from “winner takes all” to “culture builders stand out.”

Try “Values Champions,” “Culture Cards,” or “Caught Living It” awards.

4. Get specific or don’t bother

“Great job!” changes nothing.

“Your coordination across sales and ops shortened our cycle time and modeled our agility value” shows people exactly what good looks like.

5. Audit for recognition equity

Look at who’s getting recognized—by gender, role, region, and tenure. If it’s skewed, your system is too.

ZRG’s Culture Contribution and People Manager Solutions frameworks help leaders operationalize these practices at scale.

Recognition is leadership—even when it’s peer to peer

Culture isn’t built in strategy decks.
It’s built in moments:

• Who gets seen
• What gets praised
• What gets repeated

So if you say you value inclusion, but only recognize loud voices…
If you say you reward accountability, but only celebrate top-line results…

Then your culture message is inconsistent. And people notice.

Final thought: stop rewarding the wrong things loudly

If you want a different culture, change what you spotlight.

Because recognition doesn’t just reflect your culture.
It broadcasts it.

And if it’s not aligned to what you truly value, no amount of strategy will stick.

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