a little goes a long way

"It's the little things that mean a lot."

We all know this to be true, but a great example of this in the office is the simple "thank you" through an action. This action might be something as easy as getting the team Starbucks or personally saying to someone how much you appreciate their work. The big idea is recognizing all of those extra efforts that teams or individuals give which make projects successful. Everyone appreciates being told "great job" or "thanks for your help" when the actions deserve this recognition and when the kudos are genuine. It's an opportunity to give praise and reinforce the type of work behavior that you want from the team. It's also a moment when either the team or the individual sees that you do really value their work and to receive positive feedback. The more powerful recognition is when the action is unexpected - that way people can realize that every project is important and that you're looking for the good in their work.

Do something that makes an impact - something they'll remember and want to recreate. This doesn't need to be expensive, just thoughtful.