By Kathie Sorensen and Curt Coffman
The Five Blunders of Effective Employee Recognition:
1) Blunder ~ “Employee of the Month”
This quickly becomes a game of “Whose turn is it next?” thereby minimizing excellent performance. Check out a plaque sometime and note how often employees receive multiple commendations.
Fix ~ Immediate Praise
Give praise in real time, as close to the observation as possible. Employees are often blind to their own excellence. Providing a specific description for them creates an awareness, which leads to even greater performance.
2) Blunder ~ Asking Employees How They Want to be Recognized
Asking employees their preferred form of recognition will typically elicit a socially acceptable response, such as “I really don’t need anything more than a quick thanks.” People rarely acknowledge their need for recognition, let alone their honest desires for how they wish to be recognized.
Fix~ Ask Employees about the Best Recognition They’ve Ever Received
This will provide you with a much more accurate understanding of what the individual truly craves. While some employees will initially deny their needs, one of the first things cited by an unhappy employee is “no one seems to even notice what I do.”
3) Blunder ~ Use of General Statements
Never use “way to go,” “I appreciate your contributions,” “thanks for all you do here” and the like. Platitudes such as these feel good for about 30 minutes after which time, the employee is no more aware of her talents than before.
Fix ~ Specifically Describe Why the Recognition is Warranted
Employees want to hear exactly what they did that made a difference. It drives them to even greater levels of performance by helping them understand how their contribution really matters to others.
4) Blunder ~ Insincere Compliments
Sometimes, managers use recognition as a platform to let others know they’re in charge. Manipulation such as this is not easily disguised and will most definitely lead to a lack of trust between managers and employees.
Fix ~ Real and Authentic Comments
Everyone shows glimpses of excellence at work at one time or another. Look for those moments in your employees and share what you’ve witnessed. This type of authentic recognition will create loyalty and generate extraordinary performance.
5) Blunder ~ Only Recognizing “following the steps”
Excellence is rarely achieved by simply meeting the requirements, following the prescribed plan. When conformance becomes the desired result, employees understand that doing is more important that thinking.
Fix ~ Focus on Employees’ Ability to Exceed the Expected Outcomes
Rather than legislating the steps that must be followed, keep the focus on the purpose of the role. By doing so, you will unleash employees’ creativity, leading to greater effectiveness and efficiency.
New York Times bestselling author Curt Coffman and Dr. Kathleen Sorensen currently serve as a Senior Partners of The Coffman Organization. Both are the authors of their latest book “Culture Eats Strategy for Lunch” due in the spring of 2012.
For more information on The Coffman Organization, go to http://coffmanorganization.com
