{"id":4992,"date":"2025-05-08T20:58:45","date_gmt":"2025-05-08T20:58:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aomtodayprod.wpenginepowered.com\/?p=4992"},"modified":"2025-07-09T15:45:01","modified_gmt":"2025-07-09T15:45:01","slug":"why-its-important-to-thank-helpful-coworkers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aom.org\/today\/why-its-important-to-thank-helpful-coworkers\/","title":{"rendered":"Why It\u2019s Important to Thank Helpful Coworkers"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Daniel Butcher<\/a><\/p>\r\n

Even top performers can get into a funk a work, and workers who usually are willing to help coworkers can stop collaborating. Beyond standard strategies such as promotions and raises, cultivating a collaborative culture that gives credit where credit is due is crucial for motivating such talented, helpful employees.<\/p>\r\n

Academy of Management Scholar Abbie Shipp<\/a> of Texas Christian University, who coauthored an Academy of Management Review article <\/a><\/em>on how \u201corganizational citizenship behavior\u201d changes over time with Jessica Methot<\/a> of Rutgers University, David Lepak<\/a> of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and Wendy Boswell<\/a> of Texas A&M University, said that people continuously craft identity narratives to tell evolving stories about themselves.<\/p>\r\n

\u201cThe research on organizational citizenship behavior took this approach of \u2018People either help colleagues or they don\u2019t,\u2019 not really viewing a longer-term perspective or asking questions such as, \u2018What happens if I help all the time and then I get burnt out?\u2019 or \u2018What if something happens at work and changes my identity to where I help colleagues more or less often?\u2019\u201d Shipp said.<\/p>\r\n

\u201cWe looked at the ways in which some different situations or life cues could change your trajectory of helping over time, and why,\u201d she said. \u201cIn terms of practical takeaways, talk to people about their identities and why they help at work and what\u2019s meaningful to them\u2014but also assume that these will change, so keep those conversations going.<\/p>\r\n

\u201cIf somebody is one of your top performers today, don\u2019t assume that that would stick.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

There could be ebbs and flows and different events that could\u2014and likely will\u2014impact performance and citizenship behavior.<\/p>\r\n

\u201cWhen you take that temporal lens, you start to really ask a lot of different questions about, \u2018When do people help? How does it change? Is that temporary or permanent?\u2019 etc.,\u201d Shipp said.<\/p>\r\n

\u201cThis allows leaders to explore ways to boost the morale of top performers and helpers and encourage them to remain at the organization, continue performing well, and continue to help others, even when things change over time,\u201d she said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

A sample of Shipp\u2019sAOM research findings:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n