Working with others
Make someone's good work visible
A small habit that builds goodwill and helps good work get noticed
Write a short note to a teammate's manager about something they did that made your work better, and why it helped.
- 5 minutes
- You and their manager
- Whenever it's earned
- Conversation
Why this can work
Some of the best contributions at work are quiet, and never show up in a dashboard or a review. A short note to someone's manager makes that effort visible, meaningful, and more likely to happen again. It helps your teammate get credit they'd otherwise miss, and gives their manager a truer picture of how their team shows up.
Read moreHow to recognize a coworker to their manager
You’ll come away with a note that puts someone's quiet good work where it counts.
- Think of one moment.
A time someone made your work better recently: they stepped in at the right time, unblocked something, or showed care that made a difference.
- Write their manager a short note.
What happened, and why it helped. Two or three sentences. You don't need to overthink it.
To: their managerI wanted to let you know about something name did recently. What they did.
It made a real difference for me: why it helped. It's the kind of thing that doesn't always show up anywhere, so I wanted to make sure you heard about it.
Swap the highlighted parts for your thing. Works on Slack, in email, or said out loud. - Send it privately.
No need to copy the person or post it publicly. This is about genuine appreciation, not a performance.
Tip: If they hear about it later, even better. That's their manager's call to make.
Good times to repeat it: right after someone makes your work betteronce a month as a habitbefore review season
Making it work for you
Every workplace is different. Here’s what to think about before you start, and what might get in the way.
Things to think about
They see outcomes and escalations. The small, well-timed help between teammates mostly happens out of their view.
What might make this harder
Ask the person casually, or check your company directory. If it's truly unclear, a specific thank-you to the person directly still does a lot of good.
Questions people ask
Should I tell a coworker's manager they did a good job?
Yes, when it's specific and genuine. Managers often miss the quiet help that happens between teammates, and a short note can make it count.
How do I write a recognition email to someone's boss?
Say what the person did and what it made possible for you, in a few sentences. Concrete detail is what makes it useful to the manager.
Should I copy the person I'm praising?
It isn't necessary. Writing to the manager privately keeps it from feeling performed, and the manager can decide how to pass it on.
Is praising a peer to their manager seen as political?
Rarely, when it's specific, occasional, and asks for nothing. It tends to read as generosity, and it builds goodwill on every side.
Why this works, and where it comes from
A lot of what makes a team work never shows up anywhere. The person who caught the error the night before, who answered the question that saved you a day, who quietly took the meeting nobody wanted. Managers mostly see outcomes and problems, and the quiet help in between is easy to miss. It isn't neglect. They're simply not in the room when it happens.
A short note from you fills that gap. It gives the manager something they value, a truer picture of their own team, which is really a picture of how their own work is showing up. It gives your teammate credit that might otherwise have gone nowhere, and sometimes that note is exactly what someone needs when review or promotion time comes around.
This is a familiar idea, peer recognition, done without the program. The difference is where it goes and how. Writing straight to the manager, privately, keeps it about appreciation rather than politics. No copying the person, no public post, nothing asked in return.
There's something in it for you too, and it's fine to say so. You're reinforcing the behavior that makes your own work easier, and people tend to keep doing what they know was noticed. Of all the ways to shape the people around you, this is one of the kindest.
Other simple things to consider
What to do next
More in Working with others
A few minutes that compound
Do it with Truest and it goes on your permanent record, in a Career Vault your employer doesn’t own.
See how Truest worksAlready a member? Log in- A reminder beforePut it on your calendar and Truest reminds you before it starts.
- It comes back if it slipsA missed one comes back around instead of disappearing.
- On your recordWhen it's done, it goes on your record with your priorities and progress.
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An exercise written by Truest, based on our experience. Last updated September 25, 2026. We sell a career membership; where that’s relevant above, we say so.