In his best-selling book, Emotional Intelligence, author Daniel Goleman cites the ease at which managers criticize an individual’s performance—yet hold back on showing gratitude.
This is an important habit to break if you’re a faulty praise practitioner.
Our ears enjoy a compliment. Often, it can make the difference in your attitude for the day. More so, as a motivational managerial tool, it can help you retain your best employees, as countless studies and workplace climate surveys indicate that paying attention to your team members, beyond money, is a significant key to their productivity and job satisfaction. In fact, the number one reason executives leave their jobs is a lack of praise and recognition.
As a manager, you must remember that everything you accomplish—change—is through people. And if you want to keep them happy and satisfied, recognizing your colleagues through expressions such as “Good job,” “Way to go!” and “Thank you” must be a part of your verbal repertoire.
These words should come across with forethought and sincerity.
When you catch a team member doing something right—no matter how relatively slight it may seem—personally acknowledge it as soon as possible. To the extent possible, personally convey the message.
Too many words too often may come across as superficial; too little too late, and the linkage between the action and the praise is lost.
Where you praise an individual is as important as the act itself.
Libby Sartain, former vice president of people at Southwest Airlines, recounts when one of their pilots, Roger Way, successfully avoided what would have been a sure tragedy by deftly landing a plane with inoperable landing gear. As the story is told, Captain Way happened to be visiting the company’s headquarters shortly thereafter. When word spread that he was in the building, an impromptu gathering involving hundreds of their employees was arranged in the lobby.
This public event not only gave Captain Way recognition for his extraordinary efforts, but it helped to generate goodwill and promote team-building.
How you pay attention to employees, including addressing workplace environmental concerns, provides you with many options.
In the classic Hawthorne studies conducted by Elton Mayo from 1927 to 1932 at a Western Electric manufacturing plant outside Chicago, many workplace variables were altered (lighting, rest periods, payment incentives, supervisory styles, and so on) with increases in productivity and morale resulting. Mayo concluded that job satisfaction increased as workers were given more freedom; that interaction and cooperation created a high level of cohesiveness; and that job satisfaction and productivity depended more on a feeling of self-worth than environment.
What you praise individuals for should be of significance, and it should be consistent with the organization’s values. This will reinforce the behavior and set a tone for others.
Related to this, you should take every opportunity to share and give credit—commemorating the accomplishment of significant accomplishments or milestones. But don’t dwell here unless you’re at a journey’s end, as you will need to refresh and refocus the team.
Also, the form of recognition is important, and it need not be costly. For, while many companies have budgets for recognition programs with every bell and whistle imaginable, your personalized efforts might include a handshake, a note of thanks, taking an employee to lunch, giving a voucher good for “dinner for two,” a service award, a gift certificate, a special bonus, or spontaneous time off. Outside of work, sending a birthday card, sending flowers for an appropriate occasion, or attending a personal event—like a wedding or funeral—is all very appropriate.
Recognition isn’t the only organizational determinant of job satisfaction and employee motivation (as others include the relationships with one’s supervisor and peers, the perceived quality of supervision, the work itself, social stimulation, personal engagement, and working conditions), but it’s critical for your managerial success.