Noticing Matters: Keeping Teams Connected Under Pressure

Note of Appreciation

I recently had the opportunity to speak at a team-building event. In preparation, I did all the usual things — asked about employee engagement overall, any concerns or issues the team was facing, and generally what the expectation for the session was.

Normally, when I get called in, there’s an issue to be addressed. In my most recent role, that might have been diversity and inclusion: bias, microaggressions, privilege, or increasing awareness around inclusive leadership. In past roles, it was more about HR or safety policy and process updates for the whole company — compliance-related, top-down stuff.

This one was different.

This time, I was introduced to a high-performing and highly engaged workplace, where staff and customer satisfaction were already at impressive levels. Honestly, it’s way easier to have an impact when people are starting from a place of limited knowledge, awareness, or skill in a given area. But how do you bring something meaningful to a team that’s already working well?

I had my work cut out for me.

Acknowledging the Sector Strain

We started with an acknowledgement that the charity and nonprofit world has been under extreme pressure for some time. Across the board, demand for services is increasing, while both funding and volunteer support are staying the same — or worse, declining. Attracting and retaining staff — especially when they’re burnt out and underpaid — adds another layer of difficulty.

The data backs this up.

• According to Calgary's The Nonprofit Chamber, Alberta's nonprofit sector includes 285,000+ paid employees, and volunteers contribute over 227 million hours annually. Yet 57% of these organizations are entirely volunteer-run, and most paid teams are very small — often just 1–4 employees. These lean teams carry big mandates.

• In recent research from YMCA WorkWell & Charity Insights Canada, 58% of nonprofit staff (and 71% of nonprofit leaders) say they’re experiencing burnout.

• Future of Good’s Changemaker Wellbeing Index reveals that more than a quarter of nonprofit staff feel “often” or “almost always” exhausted or overwhelmed..

This isn’t just a “feeling.” It’s a signal: when workloads, emotional demands, and under‑resourced systems collide, people stop being able to connect.

The Quiet Cost of “Head Down” Culture

When workloads grow, it’s natural to become more “heads down”—pushing through, taking fewer breaks, trying to fit it all in. For some, there may also be personal challenges outside of work that limit their energy to engage. Nothing anyone has done wrong, just less capacity to connect.

Over time, this can lead to a quiet disconnection. Colleagues may see you focused and choose not to interrupt. After a few polite “no thank yous” to invitations, people may stop asking. Nothing dramatic happens—just fewer moments of relationship-building, and the seeds of disconnection quietly sprout.

So to yank those weeds out before they get deep, we moved into a simple pair-and-share activity called Noticing.

Shared Noticing Keeps Teams Connected

In this activity, folks were asked to take a few quiet moments on their own before sharing with a partner. The questions were simple:

• What’s one thing you hope others notice about how you show up at work?

• What’s one thing you’ve noticed about how your partner shows up, contributes, or brings energy?

This wasn’t meant to be, “I love your new haircut,” or “Those are some killer boots.” The focus was on presence, contributions, and behaviours — often-unspoken contributions people make — the kind that often go unnoticed because they’re so consistent or is “just part of the job.”

There was genuine delight when partners named the exact things someone hoped others would see. And even when the feedback didn’t match the hope, there was still meaning — being recognized for something you assumed was invisible? That resonates.

One person shared, “I show appreciation by doing something nice in return — we don’t have to say it.” That’s valid. Not everyone is verbal about recognition. But noticing doesn’t have to be loud to be meaningful.

In this work, reciprocity can be the same — a practice of noticing, giving, and supporting without keeping score. It’s about building strong connections that sustain us, especially when the work is demanding.

Fortunately, I had already considered that. At the end of the session, I invited everyone to write a short, anonymous note to a colleague — something they admired or valued about that person’s work. It could be a steady presence, a thoughtful question in meetings, or a behind-the-scenes effort that kept things on track. Each person wrote down something they admired or valued about a colleague — anonymously — on brightly colored paper.

No names. Just a note of genuine praise, left behind for someone to discover.

Reciprocity isn’t only about lending a hand with tasks — it’s also about noticing and naming what others contribute. In giving appreciation, we strengthen the ties between us. And when those ties are strong, we can trust they’ll hold when we need support in other ways.

---

Why It Works

We all know that recognition feels good. But this isn’t just good vibes — there’s real psychological and organizational theory behind why this matters.

• Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs says we all crave esteem — to be seen as capable, valuable, respected.

• Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory tells us that recognition is a key motivator — it doesn’t just prevent disengagement, it creates satisfaction.

• Self-Determination Theory highlights competence and relatedness as two of our core psychological needs — both of which recognition directly supports.

• In the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) Model, recognition is considered a resource that helps buffer burnout, especially under heavy workloads.

So do not be quick to dismiss the impact of recognition. And not just for “struggling” teams. In fact, high-performing teams are often the ones who need this most, because they’re so focused on the work that they forget to pause and see each other.

Want to Reconnect a High-Performing Team? Try These:

If you're looking for something to try in-house, here are a few simple, intentional ways to build more recognition into your team culture and keep your teams connected, even when they are under pressure:

• Start with reflection. Give people a prompt: “What do you hope others notice about your work?”

• Pair people up across roles. Ask them to share what they admire in each other’s style or impact.

• Use anonymous notes. Set up a “praise wall” or create space during meetings for monthly appreciation postcards.

• Bake it into meetings. Reserve five minutes at the end of every team meeting for one shoutout.

• Ask better questions in check-ins. Try: “Is there something you’ve done lately you’re proud of but don’t think others noticed?”

These are small efforts — but they create big ripple effects.

Final Thought

We often assume that high-performing teams are fine — they don’t “need” anything. But the data says otherwise. Building a healthy, committed, sustainable workforce means creating environments where people feel valued, not just busy. And that doesn’t happen by accident.

Recognition is the simplest lever we have to strengthen culture, reduce burnout, and build lasting engagement — no matter how well your team is already doing.

If you would like support creating space for this kind of connection, you can also book a Noticing Session with us.