Whether you have one employee or many or have none but use sub-contractors, showing recognition for work well done can be highly advantageous. Even if you rely on no one to carry out work for you, recognition can still play a part in your success. Showing appreciation to customers, clients, or suppliers can lead to better, more loyal relationships.
Think for a minute. Do you show appreciation to those who work for you? Do you recognize good performance? A Gallup poll showed that over 60% of those surveyed had received zero recognition that year.
Another survey showed that over one-fifth of managers surprisingly said they didn’t want to show recognition. What’s with that? Although the survey didn’t state a reason for this reluctance, many managers expect excellent work as the norm, so why make a deal out of it? Often, the more analytical the manager or leader is, the less likely they will show appreciation for expected performance. Unfortunately, this lack of awareness usually has a detrimental effect on morale and performance.
When you recognize someone’s good work, you engage with them. How can this be bad? It is very easy to take people for granted. Heck, they’re doing a good job; leave well enough alone. Managers are more likely to take good workers for granted; they keep their heads down, don’t cause any ripples, and the temptation is not to spoil a good thing.
Unfortunately, all may look good on the surface, but underneath, the person feels underappreciated and is looking for another job or somewhere else to buy what they need.
When people feel appreciated, they are more likely to be loyal. They feel more invested in the company’s success and are more likely to take initiative.
How to Give Recognition
First, show appreciation quickly after noticing someone has done something above and beyond what was expected of them or done something exceedingly well. There should always be a cause-and-effect relationship.
Recognize actions and not just outcomes. Think about the runner who comes forth in the Olympic Games but who achieved their personal best time. Don’t they also deserve recognition? And when they get it from their coach, it will spur them on to better times. In terms of your employees, outcomes are often outside of their purviews.
When recognizing someone, be specific and talk about the impact the person has made. Don’t be generic and just say, “You are doing a great job; keep it up!”
When showing appreciation, make it a regular thing, not just a one-off. Take a few moments at the end of each week to review the work or actions of those around you and consider who might be worthy of recognition. This is one habit that is good to adopt.
Make showing appreciation and recognizing good work and specific achievements part of your management philosophy. You will experience greater productivity, a better quality of work, greater efficiency, people taking more initiative and pushing themselves further, and better employee retention. And, as a bonus, morale will increase in leaps and bounds.
Need support? Contact our office to set up a free business coaching session.
To read the full issue of The Leading Edge CLICK HERE
Comments