Blog Written by Tony Baird

There are two types of people in this world: those who believe everything can be broken down to a dichotomy, and those who don’t.

I usually see things with more greyscale, but this workplace observation seems pretty consistent. Successes in the workplace are either of the public nature, or they fall under the radar, only to be noticed by the few who have the access, knowledge, or care to see what great work was done.

Further, specific positions in an organization can really dictate the ability for a team member’s contributions to be publicized. And by ‘public win,’ I’m not saying it needs to make the newspaper, but rather suggesting that it’s known to the team.

As for those enjoying the ‘public wins,’ I see our client-facing team and the designers specifically. The most notable achievements in both roles often call for high fives and popping bottles. (Not all wins require champagne, but if you’re not taking the time to celebrate.. that’s a whole other article. And I digress.)

For our client-facing team, the CMOs, the project starts when first meeting the client. That process of understanding the true needs of their business is not taken lightly. They must understand the business itself, the company’s goals, and ‘why’ ownership has taken ‘this’ path. Uncovering their true needs requires digging and listening, sometimes even reorienting the client (is their path actually aligned with their stated goals?), which is never easy.

The process takes time and diligence, all of which is unseen by the remainder of the team. While they might overhear a phone call, or sit in on a meeting, they are not privy to the cogs at work in the mind of the CMO.

Most often, the process isn’t the old school Don Draper style of pitch and wait for the yes. It’s a collaborative process that brings us to the end goal. However, there is almost always that tipping point moment where the client is all in on the plan. And that’s the moment that can be shared back with the team. High fives around. And yes, sometimes bubbles.

Ironically, in our business, the moment you hit that point is actually when the hard work begins…executing the plan. Nevertheless, the moment was public and the spotlight shone bright on the team involved. They were celebrated.

Designers have a similar path when working a brand development project. The intakes, the listening, the sketches, mocks and endless revisions, delivered in solitude, staring at the monitor. Creative meetings along the way provide perspective and feedback, but at this stage it’s nearly all ‘poking holes.’

Nothing sexy about bringing the results of (hours and hours of) your creative efforts, only to have them nitpicked and torn down. The process can be brutal, but sometimes the toughest undertakings produce the best final products.

In the end comes the launch. The brand and its key assets make it out to the world. In some cases, it’s simply delivered to the client. In other cases, it’s put on display for the whole town, region, or country to see (perhaps soon we’ll have the chance to unveil a truly global offering!).

Here too comes the celebration. All of the hard work culminated in the brand launch. An easy moment to note and share with colleagues. An easy moment to be recognized.

While they are different across teams and industries, it should be rather easy to spot what these ‘public wins’ look like, and finding which positions get the glory is not far behind.

But what about the others.. surely everyone else on the team is contributing. Their efforts must be important, right? Well, of course they are. But do they get the recognition they deserve? That depends.

As leaders, we know the value of celebrating wins. But the challenge I found myself facing was how to ensure that the entire team was getting the recognition they deserved. How to make sure that we don’t take the easy road and simply acknowledge those easy-to-spot wins.

I started my career on the sales side, meaning, I grew up enjoying the high fives when things went well. To better understand the other half of my team, I needed to take a new perspective. I needed to find new ways to see the how those team members saw, and related to their roles when public wins were just never on the horizon.

And from that effort, I’ve now dubbed this group the ‘good bananas.’

Tell me this, have you ever really had an amazing banana?

You know, one you thought about next time you were buying bananas — “Man, I really hope this batch is as good as the last.”

No. Probably not.

Bananas are just fine.…

Until they are not.

The only thing memorable about a banana is when it misses that mark.

You do notice a bruised banana. You may even choose to eat around it. You do notice if it’s got a little soggy section, same thing. And you do notice the bananas that go brown — maybe even throw them in the freezer to make some banana bread later.

But you never (or at least no one I’ve talked to about this) toss the peel, sit back in your chair and think, “damnit, that was a good banana.”

Which brings me back, to the many ‘good bananas’ at the office.

Accounting and Operations are my most obvious. When the financials are finished on time, no one throws a parade. When the workflow software just works…no one even notices.

For most of the most important aspects of their work, when they are doing a good job, no one even knows.

It’s not until things break that we take notice. The invoices didn’t go out…the spreadsheet broke, the SOP is outdated. Seriously, in meetings, if a good banana’s name comes up, it’s likely because something isn’t working.

Being a good banana can be a thankless job.

I only vaguely remember the day this weird little concept came to be. But I can tell you since then, it’s been shared more times at the office than I care to admit. It’s even become one of those jargon phrases, where we say it without thinking, only to realize later how silly it sounds to someone who doesn’t know what we’re talking about.

Regardless, the phrase has been a bridge to seeing and publicizing the wins of everyone on the team. By telling this metaphor to my good bananas, you can let them know you see that they don’t always get the public credit. And through that conversation, the reality of their hard work comes to light. Sometimes in ways that they did not even realize. And pointing out a major achievement to someone who hadn’t thought twice about it — that’s pretty rewarding for both sides.

To my Good Bananas, I see you. I know what you bring to the table.

And to the Good Bananas in other organizations, I trust that someone else is seeing you too. They may not have a fruit-flavored metaphor…but they see it.

Now look around, not just to create boxes for everyone on the team, but to understand that these differences do exist. And when you notice a Good Banana, you don’t have to explain this whole thing — but let that be your reminder to point out their genius. Remind them exactly what they are bringing and that you see how incredibly valuable it really is. If you see them, let them know.

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