Acknowledge: the most powerful word in the English (or any) language

“Acknowledge by signing here….” or words – indeed instructions – to that effect.  Acknowledge, as defined, means “undeniable.”  When someone acknowledges you the impact is undeniable and often it feels good. They have connected to you, recognized you, congratulated and thanked you. Acknowledge can bind us – contractually and emotionally – to something real.

Social media is all about acknowledgement. “Like” this; “Follow” me; “Retweet”; “Subscribe”…and so forth. I have spent significant time acknowledging my own fascination with acknowledgement. My social media research is almost exclusively limited to observing how and why people want to be acknowledged through their online actions. My conclusions: our competition to be “heard” on social media is a race to be acknowledged; a race getting more and more intense – and (dangerously) addictive: my 100 ‘likes’ needs to get to 200…my followers to 10,000… friends to 50,000…I need that acknowledgment so that I can feel okay.

Scientists have done extensive work on the brain’s reaction to social media acknowledgement. The dopamine effect is in itself undeniable – a craving that can’t be shut off once you have turned it on! Why would you even want to stop the good feeling, right? Sometimes acknowledgement can simply be the excitement that one experiences from following their favourite celebrity on Twitter. That closer, previously inaccessible, connection to a star now feels very real. A two-way acknowledgement. The A-list entertainer sends out a tweet, you read it, maybe you send an @ message back to them…maybe it is acknowledged…you have their attention (and they, yours). Excitement builds…rinse, repeat.

Is there an “annoying” colleague in your team who tries to dominate office airtime? Think about how they are being acknowledged (or, better yet, not being acknowledged – particularly outside the office: a stressful home life perhaps? A history of difficult bosses?)  What they are really seeking from their “annoying airtime dominance” may be simpler than you thought. Acknowledgement acts as a listening device when we reply with things like “interesting idea… let’s talk…please elaborate…I can see you put time into this…(etc.)”, disarming the airtime hogger, motivating them to listen and acknowledge others more – “teamwork”…on and on.  Acknowledgement breeds more acknowledgement. Pass it on.

My work inside corporations seeks to give executives a confident storytelling voice that they can distribute in numerous forms (presentations, social media, marketing, human resources, email….). I have seen acknowledgement work on so many successful levels through story – no matter how brief that narrative might be.  When we have something we are inspired to tell (or sell) the chances of finding an audience who will acknowledge our appreciation for our story increases dramatically when we can deliver it in a professional, story-focused manner. Stories build trust – and acknowledgement seals that trust. Acknowledgement starts with you: do you like what you are about to share?  Set that individual self-acknowledgement tone.

Acknowledgement. Undeniably powerful and completely within your control. And yes, I meant what I said about it being the most powerful word in any language. How are you accessing its power? The results will be measurable – and often instantaneous.  Contract signing optional.

Send me your stories of how acknowledgement worked for you.  (Full disclosure: that would also acknowledge that you read this post…okay, I’m smiling right now).

 

 

 

 

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