No man, who continues to add something material, intellectual and moral well-being of the place in which he lives, is left long without proper reward. – Booker T. Washington
John Maxwell shares a story about a man who was enjoying an afternoon in a small boat on a peaceful lake. He fished as he munched on a chocolate bar. The weather was perfect, his cell phone was turned off, and all he could think about was how happy he was.
Just then he spotted a snake in the water with a frog in its mouth. He felt sorry for the frog, so he scooped up the snake with his landing net, took the frog out of its mouth, and tossed it to safety. Then he felt sorry for the snake. He broke off a piece of his chocolate bar, gave it to the snake, and placed the snake back in the water, where it swam away.
There he thought. The frog is happy, the snake is happy, and now I’m happy again. This is great. He cast his line back into the water and then settled back again.
A few minutes later, he heard a bump on the side of the boat. He looked over the side, and there was the snake again. This time it had two frogs in his mouth!
The moral of the story is this: Be careful what you reward, because whatever gets rewarded gets done.
It’s no secret that people like to be appreciated and rewarded. A recent survey by Cornerstone OnDemand reveals that most employees don’t feel they’re very valued, which might make them want to walk when given the opportunity.
The survey reported that employers need to understand that loyalty goes both ways. Nearly three in five (56%) employed Americans say that aside from compensation and benefits, being appreciated would motivate them to stay in their current positions – even more so than an opportunity to advance their career.
Essential to your leadership is to recognize and reward people in your organization who are the heavy-lifters, the front line people in the trenches who selflessly give of themselves for the good of the team. You overlook your people at your peril. You can however, make appreciation a powerful tool to boost morale and increase performance. Here are three ways to make it work for you.
Make it intentional. The practice of appreciation should be a priority of leadership. While the practice should not revolve around the Little League mentality of passing out trophies simply because you showed up, there are tangible ways of recognizing and appreciating those who have demonstrated loyalty, hard work, and a commitment to fulfilling the goals of your organization. Be intentional with your appreciation; it communicates to everyone that you not only value the work that your people deliver but more importantly, you value them.
Make it personal. Understanding the importance of appreciation is a positive first step. You make appreciation meaningful by making it personal. Faced with a pending deadline for an important presentation, Susan worked extra hours to make it happen. Why not show your appreciation with a gift certificate to her favorite restaurant that she and her husband can enjoy?
David was the top producer for the quarter and just landed your company a large new account. Why not make him reservations on a Friday for a round of golf at his favorite course? Acts of appreciation that are personal go a long way in demonstrating that you not just appreciate them for what they do, but in who they are. Take pride in the fact that you know them.
Make it desirable. Excellence is a motivator. So is success. And when the employees in your organization see the rewards on display through acts of appreciation it motivates and causes everyone to aim higher.
Do your employees know they are appreciated? How is it being communicated? Have you spoken words of appreciation? In what ways can you improve? You win your people over when you make your appreciation known.
Have you shown your appreciation today?
© 2012 Doug Dickerson
Follow Doug at www.twitter.com/managemntmoment