Unbound Ideas » recognition

The Thriving Person

Andrew Thorn — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 20:39:06 +0000

I love to study organizational environments. I am especially interested in opportunities to work for the same company at different locations. I often see one location succeeding, while another location is struggling. Since they are both operating under the same corporate vision and values, I find myself wondering about the drastic differences.

What Makes The Difference

As you might suspect, the variances from location to location are mostly related to the people that work at each site. The behaviors of the leadership teams and the engagement of the employee bases are where the real differences are manifested.

This simple observation makes it easy to propose the theory that if we want to have a thriving organization, we better spend some time making sure we have thriving people. I am sure this is not the first time you have heard this theory, but what are the characteristics of a thriving person?

The Thriving Person

Most people I know, expect that the organization will create an environment where they can grow and thrive. Sadly, no matter what the organization does, it is never enough. That is because we are all individuals and we each need different conditions in order to flourish. As a result, it is difficult for any organization to create a “one-size-fits-all” program for personal development. The thriving person understands this and becomes accountable for their own plan.

Organizations that recognize this concept create cultures that foster the development of thriving individuals. This means that they value initiative taking, proactiveness, decisiveness and the encourage their people to take risks, even when some of those risks result in failures or setbacks.

Still, creating a healthy environment does not move the responsibility from the individual. He or she, must be willing to set meaningful goals, make decisions, walk with purpose, and demonstrate a willingness to move initiatives forward in the face of obstacles that threaten success. Most organizations value these behaviors, even when their cultures do not foster their development.

Permission To Grow

Do you get what I am saying? You are responsible for creating the thriving you. Nobody else can, and nobody else will. Do you understand that if you don’t like your current circumstances, you are free to change them?

I imagine that you do understand this concept, so I am inviting you to examine where you are. Consider your current circumstances:

What are you doing that is good? How can you do that better? What will it take for you to become your best?

Who can help you become your best? When will you ask then to help?

This is a great time of year to review your personal progress. The more time you spend undestanding your own needs, the more likely you are to be seen as a valued employee. Just consider the things you can do right now that will help you thrive and become your best. Then get busy. I love forward to seeing you thrive.

Live Today! Love Today!

Andrew Thorn
760-559-3548

Why Recognition Band-Aids Never Work

Cindy Ventrice — Fri, 08 May 2009 15:30:54 +0000

In the current economy morale problems abound. Employees are concerned about the health of their organizations and industries. They worry about mergers, acquisitions, declining sales, and the shift of many job functions to other countries. Employees are frustrated with managers who give limited guidance or, at the other extreme, who micromanage. Every month they find they are working harder than ever before, yet they still worry about job security.

In organizations around the country, good-intentioned programs are put in place to fix poor morale. An overwhelming majority of organizations have recognition programs but most have little effect. Why? Because employees see these programs as superficial fluff intended to distract them from their day to day workplace frustrations.

Sometimes the only appropriate recognition is to recognize the existing problems and fix them:

If there is distrust in your workgroup, forget about presenting certificates of achievement.

Employees won’t trust you to be sincere anyway. It is better to recognize employee value by working to restore their trust. Provide information. Have an open book policy. Solicit employee opinions and use what you learn. Be fair and consistent. Employees will view these things as truly meaningful recognition.

If employees are working with outdated equipment and inadequate resources to do their jobs, forget about bonuses.
When employees don’t have the tools they need they often see that as a lack of respect, or recognition, for the job they do. If you give them bonuses when they lack basic resources they will doubt your ability to manage. At a fundamental level, you recognize employee value when you provide them with the tools they need to do their job well.

If the quality of the products or services you deliver is poor, forget about team recognition.

It would be better to focus on generating the kind of improvements that would allow employees to have pride in telling others where they work and what they do. A sterling reputation in your community and your industry provides its own form of recognition. If employees feel unchallenged, forget about touting their accomplishments.

It will seem hollow. It is more effective to recognize employee capabilities by providing new challenges that will allow them to grow and perform at new levels. New opportunities and challenges provide the kind of recognition that will really improve job satisfaction. Fix problems in the workplace, and you show employees that they are valued.

You create inherent recognition. Once you have a work environment that provides this inherent recognition, you can offer additional opportunities with peer-nominated awards, individual praise, and more. Just remember that, without the right foundation, most recognition is a waste of time and money.

Managers, who are most successful, spend less time thinking about recognition itself and more time thinking about how they can help the people they work with. The same is true of organizations. Those that put the most effort into creating the most positive and productive work environment have the most motivated employees.

When these managers and organizations say that people are the most important asset, they mean it. They help others learn and grow. They share information and trust people to use it appropriately. They value both the individual and their contribution.
People can tell when someone really cares about them. That can’t be faked. When it comes to recognition that works, nothing can replace sincere respect and the positive relationships that it creates.

Recognition is not a miracle cure. While lack of recognition may be part of the morale problem, in many cases the manager’s attempt at recognition only makes things worse. If a morale problem exists figure out what is causing it, fix it, then supplement your efforts with recognition programs.

Cindy Ventrice is the author of the best-selling book Make Their Day! Employee Recognition That Works and the companion guide Recognition Strategies that Work. She has been quoted in The New York Times, Harvard Business Update, Workforce Magazine and on CNBC. She has worked with managers in 14 countries and has helped hundreds of organizations improve employee morale and loyalty through effective recognition strategies.

High-Impact Recognition

Cindy Ventrice — Wed, 06 May 2009 22:30:26 +0000

Recently, I worked with a manager who wanted to build greater rapport with her team. I gave her an assignment. I asked her to think about what was unique about each team member, how did they contribute to the work the team did, what did she most value about each individual’s role within her organization?

She got back to me with her list. She had put a lot of though into it. One employee was great at relieving group stress by lightening things up. Another had a gift for organizing the work environment. A third was superb with difficult customers.

Her next assignment was to think of a symbol for each trait or behavior. These symbols should be something she could purchase for a few dollars: a puzzle for solving challenges, a silly mask for bringing humor to the workplace, a slinky for flexibility.

She made her list, shopped for and found appropriate items, then presented them at a meeting. She reported back the following:

This exercise made her think about what was valuable about each person and increased her appreciation of the work they did.
At the end of her presentation, she said, “I hope you all know how much I value you.” One member of the team spoke up. She said, “I do now.”

Want to build rapport? Do this exercise. Make a list of your employees. Note what is unique about each: characteristics, valued behaviors, specific ways in which they support the team. Once you have completed the list tell them what you value. You can do this a bit at a time, one on one or in team meetings, or you can go bigger and flashier and do what this manager did. Either way the payoff is worthwhile.

Cindy Ventrice is the author of the best-selling book Make Their Day! Employee Recognition That Works and the companion guide Recognition Strategies that Work. She has been quoted in The New York Times, Harvard Business Update, Workforce Magazine and on CNBC. She has worked with managers in 14 countries and has helped hundreds of organizations improve employee morale and loyalty through effective recognition strategies.

Thank You

Cindy Ventrice — Mon, 04 May 2009 15:52:46 +0000

Thank you.

These are two simple words that are becoming rarer every day.

If you don’t believe me try this experiment:

For the next week, every time you make a purchase (in person) pay attention to what the clerk says at the end of the transaction. I have been doing this for a while and have found that there is a very good chance the response will be “have a nice day” or “here you go.”

Warms your heart doesn’t it?

I find myself saying thank you at the end of a transaction far more often than the clerks do.

Yes, I do believe these two words are getting rarer.

We could get into a discussion of why this is happening, but to my point today…

If the thank you is becoming rarer, it is even more important that you remember to thank the people we work with. Expressing appreciation is a critical element of recognition that works.Cindy Ventrice is the author of the best-selling book Make Their Day! Employee Recognition That Works and the companion guide Recognition Strategies that Work. She has been quoted in The New York Times, Harvard Business Update, Workforce Magazine and on CNBC. She has worked with managers in 14 countries and has helped hundreds of organizations improve employee morale and loyalty through effective recognition strategies.

Work Relationship Inventory for Managers and Supervisors

Cindy Ventrice — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 21:53:01 +0000

Because even the greatest managers can generally benefit from a bit of self assessment, I have decided to share this assessment tool with you.

By the way, the questions are valid for everyone, not just managers and supervisors…

The purpose of this inventory is to help managers and supervisors assess and improve their working relationships. What follows are some of the questions from this inventory along with my commentary.

Do the people you work with value the recognition you are currently giving them?

This question comes first because it is an excellent barometer of the health of your work relationships. If the answer is no, or not as much as you believe they should value it, you will have one or two more areas that could use a bit of tweaking.

Two more questions:

Do people trust you?
Do you trust the people you work with?

Trust is at the core of working relationship.
When you trust your team, they feel valued.
When they trust you, they give you the benefit of the doubt.

Do you communicate clear expectations?
Do you listen to employee expectations and aspirations?

The way you handle expectations plays a large part in developing trust. Communicate clearly and honestly. Listen attentively and act appropriately. Visit this link for more information on a tool that can help employees assess and communicate their expectations in a positive manner.

Do people ever laugh or joke in your presence?
Do people feel comfortable sharing concerns?

These two allude to how comfortable people are with you. If you keep your sense of humor (you have one right?!?) even during difficult times you will improve in both of these areas.

Can you provide a resounding yes!! to each of these questions? If so, feel free to complete the assessment. If no, what are you going to do differently?

When you are finished, leave a comment on what else you believe should be included.

My name is Cindy Ventrice. I am the author of the best-selling book Make Their Day! Employee Recognition That Works and the companion guide Recognition Strategies That Work.

My work has been quoted in The New York Times, Alaska Airlines Magazine, Workforce Magazine, and Tim Sanders’ book The Likeability Factor.