Simple Ways to Use Recognition to Power and Reinforce Success

Simple Ways to Use Recognition to Power and Reinforce Success

With so many ways to recognize people for their contributions, we need to mix it up. Avoid getting stale and keep it engaging. As effective as it can be, this might go beyond a simple “thank you.” There are many ways to recognize people. You will find many ideas laid-out below.
General Approaches to Ensure Effective Recognition

Be timely–Recognition that has the most impact is timely and comes in close proximity to when the performance happened.
Be specific–Share specifics related to the accomplishment by telling the person what was done and why it was effective.
Link the recognition–Mention the specific performance or behavior that you want to reinforce. It is important that people know why they are being recognized.
Avoid multi-tasking when you talk with employees–Especially when the discussion is about their accomplishments and contributions.
Make recognition a set agenda topic–Place recognition on the schedule during team meetings. Make sure the recognition is meaningful or it will start to have no meaning.
Reward effort as well as success–Not everything is successful. Reward people for the obstacles and barriers they overcame or fought against.

Oh, Let Me Count the Ways to Recognize

Leverage the customer–If a customer says something good to you about your employees or a project. Invite them to share in-person or remotely with your team, particularly the people involved.
Utilize social networks–Post recognition on social networks. Before you use an outside site, check first to make sure it is company approved.
Grab It–Start building a supply of token gifts, such as candy bars, protein bars, etc. Place them in a box, or grab bag. When you recognize someone, let the person reach in and grab something, sight unseen. Add to the fun by mixing in coupons. For example, give coupons for a free lunch, or one item from the vending machine. If it works in the environment, you might even be able to wrangle a coupon for the parking space next to the door, or an opportunity to leave the facility an hour early.
Match the reward–The significance of the achievement should match the reward. The larger the accomplishment, the more significant the reward should be.
Make the recognition public–If others can learn from the accomplishments, or the employee would feel a greater impact from sharing the recognition publicly, by all means, don’t keep it a secret.
Chalk It Up–On a chalkboard, white board, parking lot, or driveway, write a message of appreciation.
Flip It Up–Write a thank you on a flip chart paper. Post it in the hall or on the person’s car.
Snack out–Supply the team with healthy snacks and juices for a week.
Get Symbolic—Find something that has meaning within the group to pass around. Use a super-hero for the person who really came through on a project. Or the “rock” for a person who has been impeccably dependable.
Make them laugh–Support a local artist or an art student by asking that person to draw caricatures of your employees during their break/lunch hour and display them in your facility.
Create a traveling trophy— Select an unusual item to use as a recognition award. The person recognized can display the trophy for a select period of time. Or the awardee can recognize someone within the team and pass it on. Consider an item that each recipient can autograph before it travels on.
Write a thank you note–Deliver this note to your employees’ spouse or children.
Spread the news–Place employee recognitions on your intranet. Share the news with higher-level leaders, or in a team management meeting. Arrange for your team or a member of your team to present an innovation or continuous improvement idea that has worked in your area to other facilities.
Perform a service–Take somebody’s laundry to the dry cleaners or wash the employee’s car in the parking lot.
Gift it–Create a basket linked to an individual’s interest. For example, if a person like to garden, create a basket with some gardening tools, a gardening book or magazine. If the employee likes to fish, put in a thermos, some fishing lures, etc.
Swap a task–Do another employees duties for a day. Let him or her decide.
Nominate the employee— Pick various employees for either a company or community award.
Provide points–Set goals for employees. If an employee reaches a goal, let them turn in their accumulated points for prizes or awards.
Create a space–Create a celebration board in the break room or team area. Post recognitions and thank-you notes. At a periodic meeting, count how many notes are on the celebration board.
Take the person into consideration–Don’t give a book to someone who doesn’t like to read. Avoid public recognition for someone who tends to get embarrassed. Tailor your form of recognition to meet the individual’s needs.

Building Employees’ Work Ethic

Are you concerned about your employees’ work ethic and do you wonder how to build it? 

Go one-on-one.  Managers should work to create the relationships needed to encourage employee engagement.  Understand employees’ goals, aspirations, needs, home life, social circles and even hobbies to find ways to relate on an individual level in a way that increases trust.

Establish a target.  If your front-line employees cannot articulate the core values of the business, everything else falls apart. Core values should be brief, bulleted statements that define the values each employee must hold dear, rather than long, jargon-laden mission statements.

Make instruction matter.  Consistency in employee expectations is a key factor in successfully igniting the work ethic. Training programs designed around teaching expectations, organizational values and what happens when expectations are not met are critical to success.

Make your success their success. Get creative with public appreciation, incentives, perks and compensation that can be tied to shared goals to give employees a sense of achievement, which in turn increases their engagement on the job.

Listen, respond and engage. Continually ask for employee feedback on what will help them deliver better results for the brand and customers. Follow through and take action on their requests.

Light the path.  Make the case that your business should be seen as not just a job, but a place to have a career. Communicate to employees about their opportunities for growth within the brand.  Establish programs that guide high performers along a path that helps them to reach high status, responsibilities and compensation in the organization.

Always be canvassing.  Managers should be able to articulate their ideal employee profile. Create a workforce with your ideal work ethic.  Identify and reach out to potential employees by communicating benefits.  Entice  high-performing employees to identify others similar to them and communicate the brand promise.

5 Things to Include in a Performance Discussion

March is the most common time to sit down for an annual conversation around employee performance and evaluation.  Although these conversations should not take place merely once a year, this is an opportune time to consider what should be discussed in a performance feedback conversation.

What is going well?

This is certainly a time to recognize and share strengths in the areas a person possesses.  What can your employees continue to do that will result in further success?  Conversations around performance are a time to provide reinforcement to ensure positive behaviors will continue.  How can this person best capitalize on strength areas that are really working?

What can be improved upon?

No discussion would be complete without touching on areas where improvement is needed.  Communicating alternative approaches is effective.  It motivates employees; and is an essential part of any discussion.  Some leaders shy away from this line of discussion as it can be uncomfortable.  Failure to do this, leaves an employee left with an incomplete picture of performance and little information on how to improve.

 What are the expectations for the next performance cycle?

As you talk about progress on previously set goals or objectives; it is only natural that future expectations will come up.  What clarity can you provide on those expectations?  How will you determine if the expectations have been successfully achieved?  What type of measurements in terms of cost, quality, productivity, or timeliness can be clarified?

What support is needed from you (the leader) to be successful?

This is not about taking responsibility away from someone.  It is about understanding what the person needs from you, the leader.  Perhaps there is a resource you are able to secure or a barrier that needs to be addressed by you in order for the person to be successful.  If they are new to a task, just being available to run things by you can make a significant difference.  Be sure to get the employee’s perspective on this one.

What not to include: Surprises!

Don’t blindside employees with information in a performance review that you have never mentioned.  Not only is it not helpful, but it can be demotivating.  A better way to approach an annual discussion is to make it a culmination or summary of the year.  This should include discussions you have engaged in throughout the time period.  Saving up your insight and delivering it once a year creates missed opportunities.  The employee could have been acting on your feedback in a more timely fashion.  Make those feedback discussions well-timed, and have them in regular cadence.  These discussions will have a solid impact, and you will see a strong professional employee.

10 Things Employees Want More Than a Raise

Article Courtesy of Goeffrey James

Contrary to popular belief, employees value many things more than the amount of money they’re being paid.  If they’re treated right, employees will not only work for less, they’ll be happier and more productive as they do so. Based upon hundreds of conversations I’ve had about bosses and jobs, here’s what employees really want:

1. To feel proud. When asked what they do for a living, employees want to boast rather than apologize. They want the people they meet to be at least a little impressed, even if it’s only because the employee has taken on a job that’s generally thankless.

2. To be treated fairly. While almost everyone realizes that life isn’t fair, employees don’t want the boss to make life more unfair than it already is.  Employees hate favoritism.  They expect the perks and promotions to go to the people who work hard, not the people who kiss butt.

3. To respect the boss. Employees want respect from the boss, of course, but just as strong is the need to feel respect for the boss!  Employees want to believe that their boss is a leader who is worthy of their loyalty.

4. To be heard out. Employees hate it when the boss doesn’t have the time or the interest to listen to what they have to say. Employees don’t expect the boss to always take their advice, but if the boss won’t hear them out they (rightly) assume the boss doesn’t care about them.

5. To have a personal life. For many bosses (especially entrepreneurs) work is a way of life.  Employees, however, usually think of friends and family as their “real” life.  Even when they’re committed to their job, they get twitchy when work keeps them away too much.

6. To be coached not micromanaged. Employees want the boss’s help when: 1) they ask for it, or 2) they’re floundering so badly they’re afraid to ask for it.  What employees don’t want is to have the boss looking over their shoulder all the time.

7. To see the bullies get fired. In almost every workplace there are one or two jerks who make life miserable for everybody.  Almost more than anything else, employees want the boss to fire those jerks. If the boss doesn’t, employees know he’s either a weakling, a fool, or a jerk himself.

8. To feel less stress. People hate the sense that they’ve got too much to do and not enough time to do it. Bosses must plan carefully, anticipate problems, and set realistic goals so that they don’t accidentally and unnecessarily add stress to employees’ lives.

9. To have a little security. No sane employee expects lifetime employment.  Even so, it’s hard to concentrate when you feel as if a sword is hanging over your head. Employees want to know that they’re not wasting their time when they’re giving your their best.

10. To beat the competition. Finally, never underestimate the power of teamwork, especially when teamwork means grinding the other team into the dust.  Employees don’t want to be team players; they want to play on the winning team. Why isn’t money on the list of desires? Well, as it happens, I’ve seldom heard anybody complain about their salary per se, except in the context of the above desires (i.e. “they don’t pay me enough to put up with this.”) Satisfy the ten desires above and your employees will remain loyal and hardworking, even if you’re paying them less (and maybe even far less) than they might earn elsewhere.

Are you a Task Master or a Master Delegator?

Good Management Requires Delegation

A project lands on your desk and you ask yourself  “who should I give this to?”.  At least that’s what you should be asking yourself.  You NEED to delegate.  As hard as this is, it’s so important to master the art of delegation.

People that struggle with delegation are typically “Star Performers”.  We are the ones that are used to being the performer and the doer.  It’s sometimes difficult for us to shift from getting the results and recognition, to handing it off to someone else.

No matter how much you dread delegation, remember that it is an essential management skill; one you must master in order to grow as a leader.  Your ability to move up to bigger things depends on your ability to hand off the lower level task and projects that are time consuming.  Stepping out of the limelight, and learning the skill of delegation gives your direct reports an opportunity to grow and shine.

How Do You Master The Art Of Delegation?

The delegation process is just that…a process.  In other words, don’t hand off the project, walk away, and forget about it.

Step 1: Start the process by telling the other person your expectations.  After this, ask them to paraphrase what you have requested.  This avoids any confusion, and sets them up for success.

Step 2: Once the project is underway, schedule touch base meetings to ensure everyone stays on track.  Meetings can be tapered off once you are confident that the work is being handled to your satisfaction.

Step 3: Communicate your trust and stay involved throughout the project.  Ask questions like, “How is the project going for you?”  Doing this shows that you are invested in what they think.  Connecting with them on a person-to-person level tells them you care.

When people feel important, they will be interested in working with you.  Therefore, you will be less likely to pick up the pieces of a project gone wrong.

Step 4: When all is said and done and the project is complete, hold a debriefing.  Discuss what worked and what didn’t.  This will give you the confidence to delegate to that person in the future.

Just remember, delegating is good for everyone on your team. You get to make room for more challenging responsibilities, and your team has the opportunity to grow too!  It’s a win-win…

Do this … challenge yourself for the next 30 days. Delegate at least three things each day. See what you learn and how your team grows and changes.

Happy delegating!

Living Life in the Fast Lane

It seems everyone is talking about the fast-paced world we live in today. It’s a world of speed, entertainment, pressure, anxiety and very few margins in our calendar. In short, it is a world filled with noise and clutter.  Life is noisy and busy for most of us.

The downsides people talk most about are:

  • Less time in face-to-face relationships and more time on screens.
  • Low work ethic and high sense of entitlement.
  • Higher expectations of performance but lower patience with others.
  • High tech and low touch lifestyle.

I think, however, these are micro-consequences to 21st century living. They are symptoms of something greater. The macro-consequence is something even more sobering and sinister. It is the meta-price tag for the high-speed world we live in.

We’re Only Playing Defense

A world that’s full of speed, noise and clutter causes us to get lost reacting to it all. We don’t live intentionally any more. We aren’t living on purpose. We play defense, simply reacting to everything being thrown at us—bills, voicemails, texts, posts, friend requests, links, subscription invoices, reference calls and emails in the inbox. Many of us get to the end of our week and are happy to have survived it.

This is not what I signed up for. The outcome isn’t worth it.

This past week I met with more than a dozen leaders and spoke to them about this issue. They all agreed: None of them wanted to live this way. No one likes merely reacting to deadlines and pressure. Most want to live life on purpose. It’s just that we can’t seem to figure out how to do that. We’ve exchanged proactive for reactive. It’s even worse at home. Parents are so exhausted from each day, we end up hoping to survive the week. Forget about all that “training the child to be an adult” stuff.

So, let me propose something to you, leader to leader.

Stop the self-imposed pressure. You don’t owe it to everyone to meet their requests. You and I are about serving people and solving problems, but our lives are to be about more than countering and reacting to others.

Remember these realities:

1. It is not how hard you work but how smart you work.

Working smart means you are doing what only you can do, and delegating things to others. Hard work is a virtue, but lasting leaders know how to work wisely.

2. We either organize or we agonize.

Learning to organize your projects makes us more efficient. This, in turn, saves us time and frustration. We must take the time to prepare before we execute.

3. We must choose or we lose.

When leaders fail to decide what must be done, we lose the opportunity to actually lead. We play defense instead of offense. Knowing your priorities helps you choose.

4. Your day will be filled with your priorities or with the requests of others.

Certainly leadership is about serving people—but that doesn’t mean you only react to others’ requests. You must know what your objectives are and pursue them.

5. You either evaluate or you stagnate.

When we don’t assess what must get done, we can become overwhelmed and stall. All good leadership begins with evaluating current status, then choosing next steps.

6. Are you proactive or reactive?

This is huge. Most leaders start well, but eventually just react to what others want. We focus on getting through the week instead of planning ahead and reaching a goal

7. The issue is not “Will my calendar be full,” but “What will fill my calendar?”

Let’s face it. We’re all is busy. The question is—what got into our calendar? The issue is not prioritizing our schedule but rather scheduling our priorities.

Determining Your Priorities

There are three big questions you should ask to determine your highest priorities:

1. REQUIRED: What is required of me in this role?

This one is all about the essential tasks and objectives you’ve been given in your position. What must get done? What is a necessary part of the job?

2. RESULT: What produces the greatest results when I do it?

When you examine the activities you engage in, which ones result in the most fruit? What can you do that people agree you are very good at doing?

3. REWARD: What fulfills me most?

As you reflect on your projects and tasks, which ones are deeply satisfying? What are the tasks that you love and would enjoy, even if you weren’t paid?

Here’s to you living on purpose, to being a proactive leader and not a reactive leader.

– See more at: http://growingleaders.com/blog/biggest-price-tag-current-culture/#sthash.fADZyvqE.NJX19lEK.dpuf