My New Habit: The Friday Shoutout | Level Up Coding

A manager spends Friday afternoons crafting a short Slack message that names a few teammates for specific actions taken that week. The ritual forces the leader to look for the small but meaningful contributions that often go unnoticed, turning a routine check-in into a public acknowledgment of "glue work".

Examples include an engineer jumping on a last-minute client call, someone leading a thorough team review, positive feedback heard about a cross-team meeting, stepping in during a live incident, or delivering a task that was handed off. Each shoutout is concrete, tied to an observable outcome, and delivered in a tone that feels personal yet professional.

Since the practice began, the team reports higher satisfaction, and the effect was even captured in an internal Peakon survey. The simple act of naming good work reinforces a culture where quiet effort is seen and valued, which in turn improves morale and reduces the sense that essential support tasks are invisible.

One engineer expressed discomfort with public praise, prompting the manager to ask for consent in 1-on-1s and respect those who prefer privacy. The lesson for technical leaders is clear: a low-effort, regular recognition habit can lift performance and culture, but it must be adaptable to individual preferences.