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"Timely, relevant, and a must read. Writing with remarkable clarity, Mark Holmes tackles the number one issue facing corporate America today, strengthening their magnet to attract and retain people." |
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• CHAPTER SIX •
The Third Tenet: Give Praise and Reward. Guiding Principles:
He realized that praise and reward were not among his strengths. "Have my employees noticed my lack of praise and encouragement?" he wondered. He had falsely assumed that good performers already knew that they performed well and therefore didn't need to be told. Gazing out the window at the tall oak trees that shielded the office from the intense winter sun, Jesse had an idea. He left the office and roamed throughout the company asking employees and managers who they considered to be great at the Third Tenet. If he was going learn, he wanted to learn from the best. One name surfaced repeatedly, Rudy, an assistant supervisor for the warehouse. Jesse knocked on Rudy's office door and was instantly greeted by an energetic, "Come on in." Rudy, a very thin man in his mid to late fifties, had deep set blue eyes but a big friendly smile that lit up the room. Jesse noticed that Rudy was wheelchair bound and that his body pitched slightly to the left. Bearing the obvious signs of some cruelly disabling disease, he was a surprisingly cheerful gentleman. Jesse reached across the desk as the two men shook hands. Rudy said, "I've heard a lot of good things about you." "Thank you," Jesse responded. It amazed him that communication traveled so quickly throughout Sawyer's company. "I'm here to learn how to become a People Keeper." "Wonderful, so what brought you to see me?" Rudy asked. "The Third Tenet," Jesse responded. "A number of managers and employees suggested that I talk with you. They feel that you're a great example of how to praise others." Rudy smiled back and said with a great deal of humility, "That's awfully kind of them to say that, but I'm not deserving. I'd love to help you any way that I can." "One way you can help is to explain why the Third Tenet is important to being a People Keeper," Jesse probed. "So you want to know why praise is so important to being an effective People Keeper," remarked Rudy with pleasure. "That's a good place to start. The best way to answer that question is to ask another question first -- why do employees need praise?" "Sure," replied Jesse. "I think praise makes employees feel better about themselves and I think it serves as a motivator." "That shows insight, but now let me show you some other reasons that I think explain clearly why praise is so vital," Rudy said. Jesse took the laminated reminder tool from Rudy's extended hand and looked it over carefully: Why Employees Need Praise
"That would be like playing a year-long football game before you get to know the score!" Jesse remarked. "Good analogy," complimented Rudy. "Isn't it frustrating when you feel that you've done a good job but it has gone unnoticed?" "Yes," answered Jesse. Then he realized that he had been a manager just like that. He was slow to praise, quick to point out what wasn't done right. He didn't like that realization, but he was determined to change with Rudy's help. "Jesse, do you like little sayings?" Rudy wondered as he turned in his wheelchair and pointed to a framed quote placed atop his book case. Make Someone Feel Important Today! "That's catchy and easy to remember," Jesse commented. "So a People Keeper praises and rewards people every day?" "Only if the situation merits, maybe several times a day or just once in a week," Rudy said. "Making someone feel important is important to making someone want to stay, isn't it?" asked Jesse. "Precisely," answered Rudy. "When a People Keeper makes a valued employee feel important, that employee will stay motivated and will be more likely to stay." "I see now why you're so good at praise Rudy," Jesse declared. "You really want employees to know that you appreciate and value them." "You're right, praise comes from the heart, not just the head," Rudy responded. "I hate to tell you this, but before I came here it was my belief that an employee knows when they've done a good job without me needing to tell them," Jesse admitted. "Who sold you that lie?" Rudy demanded, almost coming out of his wheelchair for a moment. "Why would any manager want to hold something back that does so much good?" "Well, I see that now," said Jesse. "But, a lot of managers have that attitude about praise." "Are you familiar with the ancient proverb that goes something like 'Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it is in your power to give it'? Rudy asked. Jesse shook his head that he was not. "Well, I like that proverb because it reminds me to not be stingy, but rather to be generous with my praise. Believing that employees don't need to know that they're doing a fine job shows a lack of understanding about what employees need from their managers," cautioned Rudy. "If you want to become a great People Keeper and motivator you must not withhold praise from those that deserve it and you must learn to be an encourager." "But what if it doesn't come naturally?" Jesse questioned. "That's okay," Rudy answered. "It doesn't come naturally for ninety out of a hundred managers." Rudy gave Jesse a reassuring look and smile. "If you want, I'll give you an illustration and a reminder tool so you can see how simple it is to become an encourager." "I'd really appreciate that," said Jesse. "Let's start by supposing that you were asked to list people in your life who you consider to have been good encouragers. They could be parents, friends, teachers, children or whomever. Take a sheet of paper and make a list of two or three of those people right now." Rudy waited until Jesse had finished his list. "Now, who's on your list?" asked Rudy. Jesse mentioned his wife, a high school coach, and his mother. "Great," Rudy said. "What if we could bring those people into this room, as well as some other people who know you well like your children, employees, acquaintances from church or a business club. And what if we asked them the same question -- who in their life had been a good encourager to them?" "Okay," Jesse said, still listening carefully. "Now here's the question that Sawyer asked me when I did this with him, and I'll ask it of you -- would you make their list?" Rudy asked. "I doubt it," answered Jesse quietly. "I hope that I would, but, ..." "We all hope that we would make that kind of impact on people we care about," responded Rudy more softly. "Who controls whether we make the list?" "We do of course," Jesse said. "Anyone can be a good encourager, anyone can make the list, that's what you're saying, isn't it?" "Exactly," said Rudy. "Being a good encourager begins with wanting to encourage people who you care about. Let me ask you this, why did you pick your mom as an encourager in your life?" "Because my dad's death devastated me, I was only nine," answered Jesse. "Mom was always in my corner encouraging me. She said over and over that God had a great plan for my life and would use me in a big way some day, and I believed her." "Isn't it amazing how far-reaching encouraging words can be?" Rudy asked. "They last a lifetime," Jesse pointed out. "I see now that my words of encouragement can make a lasting memory for an employee, a friend, my children and my wife. I just have to want to and then take action." "Right," remarked Rudy. "Now just add to that willingness of yours some practical principles and you'll be a great encourager." Rudy handed a reminder tool to Jesse:
"I think I see what you're trying to get managers to do," stated Jesse. "You want People Keepers to see the positive side, and the good things that their employees do. You're trying to get managers to break out of the habit of seeing the downside all the time, aren't you?" Rudy nodded. "How effective will you be as a motivator and People Keeper if your antenna is tuned into mostly negative stations?" "And what kind of encourager will you be if you focus on the mistakes most of the time?" Jesse added. "Who'd want to work for a manager like that? I need a praise and reward program in my company." "No, you don't," Rudy responded with some added emphasis as he fixed his eyes on Jesse's. "Look, praise and reward is an attitude that you have toward people, it's not a program that comes and goes. Don't make the two mistakes that so many companies make with praise and reward." "What are they?" asked Jesse, still startled by Rudy's somewhat pointed response. "First, doing it because everyone else is," answered Rudy. "Take the 'Employee of The Month Award' -- most companies have them but few really work, which leads me to the second mistake. That's failing to think a reward or incentive-based recognition through in a way that it has clear goals and fits into your overall People Keeping strategy." "I think I need an example to make this clear to me," Jesse remarked. "Then I have the perfect blunder to tell you about," Rudy said. "Last year a manager from a large retailer came here to learn how to become a People Keeper. We gladly shared everything she wanted to know but it was apparent to me that she wanted to take practices not principles with her. Her questions always focused on what we were doing and how we did it but hardly ever on why we rewarded and recognized. She wanted all the reminder tools and tips, but barely paid attention when we tried to explain the reasons behind them. Now let me tell you what she did when she returned to her company. "Her idea was to start a rewards program that recognized the one employee each month that produced the highest cross-over sales. The winner would get to draw for a prize such as nice merchandise, an all-expense paid trip, or cash. That excited one young man so much that he decided to really go for it. He worked especially hard, followed up on each lead and even put in extra time. Even his wife was excited when his efforts paid off and he won the opportunity to draw for a prize. "The manager gathered everyone around, placed a basket with plastic eggs in front of him and wished him luck. He picked an egg, opened it, and three jelly beans fell out. The young man looked up and thought it must be a joke, but no one was laughing. His manager took the basket and said 'better luck next time,'" Rudy said. "That was a stupid thing to do," Jesse said sadly. "I agree," Rudy stated. "It would have been better for that manager if she'd never started a rewards program. She demoralized the team and lost a good performer over it -- in fact, he eventually came to work for us." "Who can blame the young man for leaving a boss like that?" Jesse said. "So do you have any suggestions for knowing when to use praise and reward? You don't want to praise for anything and everything do you?" "Of course not," answered Rudy. "What would be the point of that? That would make praise or reward so commonplace that they lose their value. Here are some situations that might merit praise or reward." Jesse looked over the list of ideas that Rudy gave him.
"First of all, I'd like you to notice that some of the situations on this reminder tool are better served by praise while others deserve a reward," responded Rudy. "Do you know the difference?" < "Not really," admitted Jesse. "One difference is that a reward should include specific criteria, while praise may or may not be based upon definite criteria," Rudy explained. "Praise is often given spontaneously when you catch something noteworthy happening. Rewards, on the other hand, are often given at regular intervals. Generally, rewards are given for specific, measurable achievements, i.e. a goal met, years of service, etcetera. A successful rewards effort should be based on a budget, whereas praise requires no budget. Would you like some ideas for giving rewards too?" asked Rudy. "I'd love that," Jesse replied. "Thanks." Rudy was already handing the reminder tool to Jesse.
"That takes a little planning and time," observed Jesse. "Of course, but it's well worth the look on their face and the warm fuzzies in their heart!" replied Rudy. "Your employees must feel great when they get rewards like these," Jesse remarked as he scanned the list again. "And most of these don't cost very much at all, it's really the thought that counts." "That's right," Rudy said. "The fact that we think enough of them to reward their efforts speaks volumes about our appreciation of their contributions." "I can see why your company is so good at making employees feel important," said Jesse. "You've made it a part of your culture to treat employees that way." "What do you mean?" Rudy was curious to know. "You use praise and reward as the primary way of relating with employees," Jesse answered. "It's more than just an occasional thing around here, it's a definite priority for a People Keeper. No wonder your employees feel appreciated and want to stay working here. I want to know how to implement these ideas in a manner that will really work in my company." "That's easier than you might think," Rudy said. "Around here, we use this reminder tool developed by Sawyer:
"Two red dots," Jesse answered. On the sheet of paper, Rudy had drawn two one-inch diameter circles and colored them red. "Right," Rudy said. "But suppose we said that the white space represented all the good things about an employee's performance, their strengths, contributions, dependability, and so forth. And the two red dots represented all the mistakes, shortcomings and weaknesses of the employee. Which do you think most managers have a tendency by habit to see first?" "The mistakes, of course" said Jesse. "Why?" Rudy asked. "Because we have a tendency as managers to more quickly and easily see the mistakes and foibles of others," Jesse replied. "It's human nature." "You're right," confirmed Rudy. "After I'd worked in this job for three months, Sawyer came by my office one day. He did this exercise with me and asked me point blank -- 'Rudy are you a red-dot manager?'" "Was that embarrassing?" asked Jesse. "Of course," Rudy said. "But only because it was true. I'm glad he did it, though, because it really opened my eyes to the fact that my red-dot management style was limiting what my people would accomplish. And it would limit what I would achieve as a manager and People Keeper. I know now that people perform better and stay longer with praise." "You've made me a believer," Jesse said. "I can't tell you how much you've helped me understand this powerful principle, and you've given me some great reminder tools to get me started." "Then you should be ready for the Fourth Tenet now," Rudy said, pleased that he had helped Jesse. He handed a copy of the Fourth Tenet to Jesse and read it aloud, emphasizing certain words: --- Buy The Paperback |