I decided to take a walk at my local park. It's a great workout about a half mile loop around a paved path that has steep hills. I wasn't running but I was walking at a very brisk pace. A man who I did not know was running the path in the opposite direction. On the first lap passing me he said to me "good job!" I wondered to myself why is this man talking to me? I don't know him. On the second lap he gave me a thumbs up signal and a smile. This was really something I thought- I guy who is a complete stranger is encouraging me on my walk! On the next lap he clapped for me. On the last lap I was so inspired I started running. I wanted to please my coach!
Stop what you are doing and think about this for one moment. In your organization who should be the one who provides the most encouragement and motivation? You. Consider the power encouragement can have. So before you stop reading this, here is a compelling reason : results. So lets put the PMA stuff aside for a minute and understand that as a leader your job is to get results. That can't be through you it has to be through your people. So as the leader you have to give them encouragement, high energy and make them feel appreciated. They want their work to be recognized. The issue is that most leaders dont do this at all. So your job is to be the CEO- cheif encouragement officer.
So here are some ideas for providing encouragement that are quick and effective. They may seem small but they can be very effective in helping get better results.
Speak to all people- Many times I have seen a "big wig" walk into a room at a big meeting with hundreds of employees, pass by everyone, ignoring them and greeting other " big wigs " on the far side of the room. How silly is that? They were making the small people feel even smaller. This created resentment and people felt slighted. Who would blame them? What a huge error. When you are touring or visiting an office or even in your own offices do you take the time to say "hello" to people? Maybe you are pressed for time. Do you at least give people non verbal positive signals? They need the small gestures of acknowledgement.
Applaud their work- I was once up upon a time an execuitve with a big company. If I saw someone performaing at a high level I would hand write a card (embossed with my name at the top) and would thank them for their great work. I would be on the road and visit an office and find that card that I wrote proudly displayed. So the lesson was that everyone wants some credit for their work, a thank you, or a pat on the back. Front line people often tell me they never get a compliment. So when people work really hard to do something " over and above" the call of duty, make sure to notice and acknowledge it. When people do great work let them know!
Balance criticism- It is really incredibly easy to criticize other people's work. Mistakes are part of the human condition. As a trainer I often ask people to critique their role-play in class starting with "what went well?" In variably they always start with the negative feedback. Maybe it is human nature. I want you as a leader to find a balance between positive and negative feedback. Too many managers just pound away at a team member and eventually morale goes way down. I am not suggesting by the way, not providing critical feedback I am saying you are already throwing the salt; mix in a little sugar.
Give surprise rewards- Give people rewards when they least expect it. Find small ways to reward them. This can be a gift card, a few extra hours off, taking someone to lunch, or even buying the team a box of donuts in the morning. Just make sure it is when they least expect it and it is positioned as a reward. Say "well I just want you to know that I know how hard you have been working on the project. Here is a small token of my appreciation. Thanks." Done properly it will be the discussion at dinner at home that night. "Hey guess what my boss did at work today? You will never believe it."
The secret to great leadership is really not a secret at all. You as a leader need to encourage people, help them feel as if their work matters because it does. We all matter.
So go ahead -get busy! - 31521
Stop what you are doing and think about this for one moment. In your organization who should be the one who provides the most encouragement and motivation? You. Consider the power encouragement can have. So before you stop reading this, here is a compelling reason : results. So lets put the PMA stuff aside for a minute and understand that as a leader your job is to get results. That can't be through you it has to be through your people. So as the leader you have to give them encouragement, high energy and make them feel appreciated. They want their work to be recognized. The issue is that most leaders dont do this at all. So your job is to be the CEO- cheif encouragement officer.
So here are some ideas for providing encouragement that are quick and effective. They may seem small but they can be very effective in helping get better results.
Speak to all people- Many times I have seen a "big wig" walk into a room at a big meeting with hundreds of employees, pass by everyone, ignoring them and greeting other " big wigs " on the far side of the room. How silly is that? They were making the small people feel even smaller. This created resentment and people felt slighted. Who would blame them? What a huge error. When you are touring or visiting an office or even in your own offices do you take the time to say "hello" to people? Maybe you are pressed for time. Do you at least give people non verbal positive signals? They need the small gestures of acknowledgement.
Applaud their work- I was once up upon a time an execuitve with a big company. If I saw someone performaing at a high level I would hand write a card (embossed with my name at the top) and would thank them for their great work. I would be on the road and visit an office and find that card that I wrote proudly displayed. So the lesson was that everyone wants some credit for their work, a thank you, or a pat on the back. Front line people often tell me they never get a compliment. So when people work really hard to do something " over and above" the call of duty, make sure to notice and acknowledge it. When people do great work let them know!
Balance criticism- It is really incredibly easy to criticize other people's work. Mistakes are part of the human condition. As a trainer I often ask people to critique their role-play in class starting with "what went well?" In variably they always start with the negative feedback. Maybe it is human nature. I want you as a leader to find a balance between positive and negative feedback. Too many managers just pound away at a team member and eventually morale goes way down. I am not suggesting by the way, not providing critical feedback I am saying you are already throwing the salt; mix in a little sugar.
Give surprise rewards- Give people rewards when they least expect it. Find small ways to reward them. This can be a gift card, a few extra hours off, taking someone to lunch, or even buying the team a box of donuts in the morning. Just make sure it is when they least expect it and it is positioned as a reward. Say "well I just want you to know that I know how hard you have been working on the project. Here is a small token of my appreciation. Thanks." Done properly it will be the discussion at dinner at home that night. "Hey guess what my boss did at work today? You will never believe it."
The secret to great leadership is really not a secret at all. You as a leader need to encourage people, help them feel as if their work matters because it does. We all matter.
So go ahead -get busy! - 31521
About the Author:
Shawn is a high demand Motivational Speaker and author of 10 books. For a free copy of Shawn's book The 10 Foundations of Motivation, go to http://sldoyle.com.
