E-couragement: Shrink the Recognition Gap

May 2007 "If it's only money you get out of your job, you don't get enough." -- John H. Patterson

I went shopping for groceries today.  At the check out counter, I swiped my debit card, entered my PIN number, and…seconds later, APPROVED popped up on the screen. Ah…what a nice word!  Isn’t it human nature for all of us to desire approval and recognition?  Although mine had come from a computer screen, I left the store feeling better.

Sixty-five percent of Americans received NO praise or recognition in the workplace this past year reports a recent Gallup poll.  Why should companies care about this?  Because, according to the US Department of Labor, the number-one reason people leave organizations is because they don't feel appreciated.  This statistic indicates that a serious recognition and appreciation gap exists in most organizations.  Why else should corporate America wake up and smell the coffee?  The Gallup poll of nearly 5 million employees also revealed that increased occurrences of recognition and praise in organizations results in lower turnover, higher customer loyalty/ satisfaction scores, and increases in overall productivity.

Here is a simple way to be more effective in giving honest, and sincere recognition (emphasis on sincere.  The ONLY thing worse than no praise is that which is insincere or manipulative!).  There are 3 areas for which we can give recognition to others (acronym TAP):

1) T - Things: compliments about what they own--their clothes, car, etc. 2) A - Achievements: certification, promotion, honors, etc. 3) P - Personality traits: courage, determination, faith, etc. The most powerful is #3.  You can have great impact on people by paying attention to, and recognizing their specific, unique traits or abilities.  Once you have noticed something worthy of praise, try this:

1) Make eye contact; be genuine, specific, and brief 2) Tell the person what you like, admire or respect about them (strength) 3) Tell them why you say that or feel that way (evidence) 4) Lastly, for greatest impact, shut up Example, "Bill, I admire the way you handled that angry customer this morning.  Your calm demeanor and willingness to listen, before responding, really caused them to settle down and be more willing to be part of the solution.  The way you addressed the situation allowed them to remain a loyal customer.  Thank you!

Example, "Jill, thanks for staying late yesterday to finalize that proposal.  The customer received it on time, and it looks first class.  Your commitment to our team and the client will result in us getting this business and much more. I really appreciate that."

Receiving no praise from your own leaders is no excuse to perpetuate the stupidity.  It may feel uncomfortable at first (who said leadership was easy?), but it gets easier the more you do it.  Have the courage to do something new and outside the norm.  Be an inspiring leader or teammate.  Don't make your employees or co-workers wait in the check out line to get their recognition and APPROVAL.  Pay attention to the good that happens around you and point it out with regular recognition.

Shopping for groceries = $65.81. Receiving recognition and praise = PRICELESS!