Before your next one-on-one, take the free Team Motivation Map. It takes 2 minutes, and it shows what kind of recognition actually lands with each person. Take the quiz.

Hey Reader,

Last week I asked you to start every one-on-one with one question: “What gives you energy, and what drains it?” This week is the other half of that conversation, and Gallup says it is the most meaningful part.

It is a specific thank-you for recent work.

You can't buy engagement with a pizza Friday or a new tool. You build it when people hear, clearly and often, that the work they just did mattered. Culture is built, not bought.

01 · Culture

A thank-you is not a perk. It is the job.

As of August, Gallup found that only 19% of U.S. employees had received meaningful feedback in the last week. [1]

When Gallup studied what makes a conversation with a manager feel extremely meaningful, recognition or appreciation for recent work ranked first, ahead of goals, relationships and even how long the meeting ran. [2]

The problem is, most people are not getting it. In Gallup and Workhuman's research, only 23% of employees strongly agreed they get the right amount of recognition for the work they do. The ones who did were four times as likely to be engaged. And only 10% said anyone had asked how they like to be recognized. [3]

Quick professor's note: that recognition study is from 2022 (7,636 U.S. employees on the Gallup Panel). The 19% figure is new, from Gallup's August 2026 poll. Different years, same pattern: praise is the part people remember, and most teams are still thin on it.

“Good job, team” in a Friday email does not count. Name the person, name the work, and say why it helped. “Thanks for jumping on the Johnson call yesterday. The client was stuck, and you unstuck them.” That takes 20 seconds, and the person can repeat it later.

Your homework: in every one-on-one this week, thank them for one specific thing they did recently. Then ask, “How do you like to be recognized?” Write down the answer. Use it next time. Most managers never ask, and it is the fastest way to stop guessing.

02 · Leadership

Weekly praise changes the math

A later Gallup-Workhuman survey found the habit has a clear payoff. Among employees who got feedback and recognition from their manager at least once a week, 61% were engaged. Among those who got weekly feedback but recognition less often, 38% were engaged. [4]

Same weekly check-in. The difference is whether you actually thank them.

This matters for your managers, too. As of August 2026, 29% of U.S. managers were engaged, and 58% were watching for or actively seeking a new job. Gallup also notes that managers account for 70% of the variance in team engagement. [1] A drained manager who never hears a specific thank-you has a hard time giving one.

Your move: if you lead managers, thank them for one specific thing this week, and ask them who on their team they still need to thank. If you are a manager, do both: give one specific thank-you a day, and notice when nobody is giving one to you. Tell your boss what would actually land.

Worth 5 minutes

• Gallup: Leadership & Management indicator The August 2026 numbers on meaningful feedback, manager engagement and intent to leave.

• Gallup: A Great Manager's Most Important Habit Why recognition ranks first in a meaningful one-on-one, and why 15 to 30 minutes a week is enough.

• Gallup: Organizations Can Redefine Feedback by Including Recognition The 61% vs. 38% engagement split when weekly feedback includes weekly praise.

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Hit reply and tell me: what is the best recognition you have ever received at work? I read every reply, I won't share names, and the best answers may end up in a future issue.

Forward this to a colleague who leads people. They can use it in a one-on-one this week.

See you next Thursday,

Dave​
The Digital Strategy Professor

Sources

1. Gallup, "Global Indicator: Leadership & Management," data as of August 2026 (Gallup Panel web surveys of U.S. adults 18+, working full time or part time; probability-based sample, weighted to Current Population Survey demographics). gallup.com​
2. Gallup, "A Great Manager's Most Important Habit," May 29, 2023, updated Feb. 16, 2026. gallup.com​
3. Gallup and Workhuman, "Unleashing the Human Element at Work: Transforming Workplaces Through Recognition," 2022 (U.S. survey Feb. 14-28, 2022, 7,636 employed adults 18+ in all 50 states and D.C., Gallup Panel, margin of error ±1.8 pts at 50%). gallup.com / workhuman.com​
4. Andy Kemp, Gallup, "Organizations Can Redefine Feedback by Including Recognition," Oct. 23, 2024 (Gallup-Workhuman survey Apr. 16-30, 2024, 4,439 employed adults 18+ in all 50 states and D.C., Gallup Panel, margin of error ±2.3 pts). gallup.com​

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