(Time to read this Blog is about 4 minutes)
Before we get to the main topic, here are a few things to get you thinking or smiling:
- My Biz Quote of the week:
“Everything we do in business makes us look professional or amateurish, knowledgeable or not, innovative or not, caring or not, ethical or not. Everything we do either honors and builds our Brand…or dishonors and destroys our Brand.You and everyone on your Team should be passionate members of the ‘Brand Police’.”
…Donald Cooper. - Quick Biz Tip:
The importance of regular conversations with each Team member:A recent Gallup survey of 67,000 employees, world-wide, found that the most effective way to help employees feel connected and engaged is to have a ‘meaningful’ 15-to-20-minute conversation with each of your direct reports, every week.These conversations are used to discuss project priorities and commitments, challenges, concerns, their well-being…to answer questions and offer support and recognition.What might this look like in your business or department…and when will you start? - Fun Fact: McDonald’s plans to open 3,000 new outlets in China in the next three years, in addition to its existing 7,700 locations.
- Shameful Fact: New data from Certified Professional Accountants Assoc of Canada shows that female accountants with 25 years of experience earn 30% less than their male counterparts.
- AI Update: Who is your ‘AI Expert’? Home Depot has just announced the appointment of their new Chief Technology Officer, who will lead their AI strategy and implementation. You may not be big enough to have a full-time AI expert, but you’d better have someone who can proactively guide you in understanding, strategizing and implementing this important, transformational technology in every part of your business.
Now, to this week’s important topic:
The Many Faces of ‘Recognition’:
Employee recruitment, engagement and retention are the hottest topics in business today…and so they should be. Extensive surveys by Gallup Research show that only 30% of North American employees are engaged at work, and a staggeringly low 13% worldwide are truly engaged.
Gallup’s research also shows that 70% of employee engagement is related to their direct boss’s management style. And ‘recognition’ by their boss is a huge factor. So, below are my ‘6 recognition tips’ that might be helpful…
- A “Thank you.” every day. You can’t get more simple than this. We learned to say ‘thank you’ when we were kids…but so often forget it as bosses. Research shows that one of the biggest reasons that people stop trying in any job (including the job of ‘spouse’) is that they believe they don’t make a difference. But, if you got ‘thanked’ every day, how could you ever believe that you don’t make a difference? People never get tired of hearing a sincere ‘Thank you’.
- Celebrations. Create a culture of celebration. Look for any business or human reason to celebrate a new customer signed up, a commitment met, a birthday or engagement. Whether it’s an award, a plaque, a party or just ordering pizza for the Team on Friday, celebrate!
- A special experience for an individual, or the Team. This is sort of a celebration on steroids. It could be concert tickets, dinner for two at a local top restaurant, a special activity or adventure. One of our recent clients takes his management, supervisory and sales Team for a 3-day adventure after each annual Sales Meeting. This year, the destination was a fabulous fishing lodge that these folks would typically never get to on their own. Since the company is in the outdoor adventure gear industry, the lodge experience was a perfect fit. The better the fit, the more powerful the acknowledgement.
- 4. Reward and honor spouses, partners and family also. If a work assignment takes a staff member away from their spouse, partner or family for a period of time, make it up to them by giving them a gift certificate for a fancy dinner, weekend away or some other activity that will make you and your staff member a ‘hero’ with their family.
- A promotion or job title. Both of these recognize an employee’s effective contribution. Just make sure that you don’t promote someone to a position for which they’re not suited or properly trained. That’s a career ‘death sentence’…not a recognition or reward. This is a huge problem in many businesses.
- A bonus or a raise. Clearly, a bonus or raise is a welcome recognition of effective performance or increased responsibility. Bonuses should always be tied to specific commitments being met or exceeded. For example, most ‘Christmas Bonuses’ are not performance bonuses and should be called what they really are…a Christmas gift.Beware…a tiny, insignificant raise will be an insult, not a recognition. A very capable friend of mine recently quit his job when, after 5 years, was given a 10 cent an hour raise.
So, there you have it. Six ways to recognize and reward your Team. Which of these will you be sure to implement? For even more ideas on how to make staff feel more important and be more engaged, Click here to download my Biz Tool #B-22.
That’s it for this week…
Live brilliantly and be kind to each other!
Donald Cooper
Donald Cooper speaks and coaches internationally on management, marketing, and profitability. He can be reached by email at donald@donaldcooper.com in Toronto, Canada.
