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John was a hardworking director for a reputable third-party claims administration company. As he rose through the ranks, many attributed his success to being a self-made leader. On the surface, his success might have been ascribed to an uncanny ability to influence people. However, one day John was faced with a growing set of difficult business circumstances and found that leaning on a workforce suffering from low morale presented new risks and challenges.
“While I want my employees to feel happy about working here, the reality is I am paying people to work hard,” John said. “Why should I be concerned about recognizing my employees?”
Every business seeks to understand the return on investment from any initiative, especially in today’s tight economy. John and leaders like him have found it’s worth their own investment to learn to overcome their discomfort with recognizing others.
Facing tough challenges during his youth and receiving limited family support, John grew up learning that hard work and perseverance could help him toward achieving his goals. Tough-minded yet fair, John sometimes demonstrated a pleasant and congenial demeanor, but most of the time he reflected a “bottom-line” style, expressing little emotion unless goals were not being met.
Over time, this results-only approach began to leave his workplace depleted of the natural need for human appreciation. It wasn’t that John didn’t appreciate people or offer an occasional “thank you” for good work; it just didn’t top his list of priorities. However, showing recognition and communicating appreciation toward others lets people know that they are valued and helps them connect to the workplace community.
The first step as John worked to overcome his feelings of discomfort in recognizing his employees more frequently was to take a look at his language of appreciation.
John’s language placed primary value on responsibility, leaving little focus on relationships or feelings. He himself didn’t look to others for appreciation, positive comments, or thanks. For him, work was about duty, responsibility, and doing “what I’m supposed to be doing.” But John soon came to realize this approach was limiting his ability to offer a wider range of emotional expression that could spark his workforce. He resolved to share his thoughts and feelings with others without being prompted to do so.
Below are three practical ways to overcome awkward feelings when appreciating your employees:
- Embrace it. Acknowledge that expressions of appreciation (for example, receiving direct verbal praise or compliments) may hold a different value for others in your workplace. Even if you feel that receiving praise isn’t necessary for you, consider whether it may be a kind of feedback your employees and customers want to hear. Refocus your approach by respectfully asking your employees for their specific preferences on how they like to be recognized for doing great work.
- Understand the link between hard work and morale. Recognize that many challenges and barriers arise during the day that can make doing work harder. Take a holistic view of such problems (e.g., computer issues, losing a valued employee or customer, lost communications and/or paperwork, lack of tools, stalled projects). Acknowledge the impact these issues can have on workers and know that by offering encouragement more consistently, you can renew the emotional efforts of your employees and, in turn, help to facilitate great work over time.
- Expand the language of encouragement in others. Some people need to hear verbal encouragement more than others do, but a common trait in today’s multigenerational workplace is the need for contagious appreciation. Open your leadership up to the many ways that appreciation can be expressed, whether through words, gifts or acts of service and/or time.
Take-Away Message
Acting on the decision to overcome awkward feelings when recognizing others can begin to strengthen relationships and connect your multigenerational workforce to what matters.
©2011 All rights reserved. Judy White, SPHR, GPHR, HCS is the founder and president of The Infusion Group™. A trusted partner in creating new possibilities in talent management and workplace culture design to have a meaningful impact on people, businesses, and society. The Infusion Group™ brings together a portfolio of workplace services to achieve personalized business strategies for clients in the new world of work. For more information on achieving greater workplace potential, please visit www.theinfusiongroupllc.com.
