If you work with people who are in career transition, as I often do, you end up hearing a lot of interesting stuff about what goes on inside companies. There are many reasons why a person might decide to leave one job to pursue another. Often there are grievances involved. But far and away the commonest reason I hear for people quitting their jobs – is a lack of recognition and acknowledgment for work they have done.

Time and again I hear things like: “It would have been nice to have gotten a pat on the back once in a while. You know, it was the kind of place where you rarely heard the word thanks. I never knew if my contribution mattered. The only time I ever heard from my boss was if I did something wrong.”

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Recently I sat with a friend as we watched his nine-year-old daughter compete in a gymnastics competition. Standing only four-feet-eight inches tall, she walked straight out onto the floor after her name was called and nailed her routine. Then she returned calmly to her place on the bench with all the other gymnasts, back ramrod straight, head held high. I turned to look at my friend, amazed by his daughter's poise and confidence. "Don't look at me," he said with a shrug. "I don't know where she gets it!"

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