I remember hearing a wonderful story on NPR a number of years ago about an author who had suffered from mental illness and was institutionalized in her youth. Now, many years later, she recalled an anecdote that epitomizes this topic. She had been in a communal area and heard one of the doctors calling on the phone to the maintenance department and asking "Who cleaned my office today?" She had assumed she was about to hear this doctor chide someone for inferior work. Instead, when the doctor had gotten his answer, he went on to say "Well he cleaned my office better than it has ever been cleaned, please thank him for me." The author was blown away.
You too can blow away an employee by taking the time to recognize them. It does not have to be a big public thing.
Here are some basics:
- Learn the facts (correctly pronounced named, the details of what they did)
- Go to them and do not make them come to you to thank them
- Do not mix the message with something they need to improve on (you can send that message another time)
- Find someone to thank each day
- Be sincere
Often, without recognition, employees will not feel valued or just equate good work with compensation. Neither of these outcomes are desirable. Create a culture of gratitude and it will be easier for your employees to go the extra mile for you and your company.
In this spirit, I would like to thank a number of people who have helped over time with this blog:
- LeeAundra Temescue who created my website and the accompanying look and feel for the blog (http://www.thecontrarypublicspeaker.com/).
- Bill Grosso (http://www.wgrosso.com/), Joe Strazzere (http://www.sqablogs.com/jstrazzere/), and Paul Brown (http://mult.ifario.us/) for their kind words about the blog and the book.
- My mom, Sandra Himelstein, who periodically gets on here and attempts to correct my spelling and grammar.
Be thankful and lead a better life and a better company.
More later ...
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