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eTreat™ is a weekly digital newsletter
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Top Ten Most Frequently Asked Questions About Rewards and Recognition
By Bob Nelson
Over the years, I have been asked hundreds of questions about rewarding employees. Here are the ten I am asked most frequently:
(read more...)
It's Not a Fair Fight - If You're the CEO
By Marshall Goldsmith
As the leader, you mere suggestions may mean more than you think. Watch your words! (read more...)
Gifts That Keep On Giving ...and require very little money or shopping.
By Bev Kaye
Good, imaginative, inexpensive gifts? You can give them. Impossible? Read on. (read more...)
Top Ten Most Frequently Asked Questions About Rewards and Recognition (^ top)
By Bob Nelson
Over the years, I have been asked hundreds of questions about rewarding employees. Here are the ten I am asked most frequently:
If you recognize one person, aren't you not recognizing everyone else?
Whenever someone in your organization is upset about someone else being recognized, this could be a red flag that there is not enough recognition being given. When recognition is scarce, people have a tendency to be envious when others receive it.
What can we do about managers who know they should recognize their employees but feel too time-constrained to do so?
Making recognition is iterative, so try to build on and expand from your successes. Discuss with your managers the effect of not being able to attract and retain top talent --- the hidden costs, the loss of productivity and competitiveness. Show them what your competition is doing. Relate the issue top the bottom line.
If you praise employees, won't it be more difficult to discipline them, if that becomes necessary?
If you are specific about what you are praising the person for, this should not be a problem. Broad, all-inclusive praise is often misleading to the employee because it seems to indicate little, if any, need for improvement and can lead to problems with discipline.
My company does a lot to recognize employees, but employees report that they don't receive much recognition. What's going on?
Many organizations confuse employee activities with employee recognition. For example, employee social activities may help morale and promote social interaction among employees, but tend not to make any individual employee feel special. In fact, when you do things for all employees, you promote a culture of entitlement rather than of performance.
How can we get top management to support recognition activities?
Think about other times when your top management has been persuaded to support a change. What served to convince him or her? Now mimic what worked in those cases.
Our recognition programs feel state. How can we re-energize them?
Do a focus group or find a way to collect information about why people do not use the existing program. Include the biggest cynics on the review team to gain their feedback.
We hold some recognition events that a lot of employees do not attend. How can we get employees to come to these events?
It's very likely that the events you describe don't do much for those who are invited to attend. You need to host recognition events that build anticipation, create a buzz with employees, have fun things happen.
Can too much recognition lead to constantly escalating forms of recognition or unfulfilled expectations on the part of employees?
You've got to be in constant contact with your employees to determine what they value most and then find ways to systematically act on those desired forms of recognition and rewards as they perform well. Be sure to vary your forms of recognition --- routinely experimenting and adding new ones.
What's the best way to get employees really involved and invested in the decision-making process --- that is, motivated to perform for the good of all?
The best decision-making involves those people who are expected to implement the decisions being made. Too often, employees are asked to take ownership in decisions and activities that they will never have the opportunity to implement.
What is the best way to make recognition become part of an organization's culture?
Create and motivation goal and move in the desired direction one step at a time. Start small and build on your success.
It's Not a Fair Fight - If You're the CEO (^ top)
As the leader, you mere suggestions may mean more than you think. Watch your words!
By Marshall Goldsmith
John Hay Whitney started the first venture capital firm, financed Gone With the Wind and Minute Maid orange juice, served as Eisenhower's ambassador to Great Britain, and was one of America's wealthiest men at midcentury. But when Time magazine put him on its cover in 1933, it was for playing polo.
"Jock" Whitney, as he was known, was surveying his 600-acre estate on Long Island one day with his groundskeeper. Nonchalantly, he mused aloud how great it would be to have a polo field right there on the grounds. The next day, he went to Europe for vacation. While abroad, he was amazed to find out that the staff had leveled a large tract of his property to create a gorgeous polo field. That's not exactly what Jock had in mind.
But that's what you get for thinking out loud. When the leader sneezes, everybody else may get pneumonia. This is something every boss needs to consider before opening his or her mouth, because the same dynamic occurs all day long in the workplace -- to the point where even the manager's praise can create confusion.
For example, I advise my clients to be very conscious of their tendency to grade or rate people on the quality of their suggestions. Bosses do this all the time. If a direct report makes a suggestion, the boss will say, "That's a great idea!" That's nice to hear, of course. We'll go home that night and tell our significant other, "You'll never believe what the boss said about my idea today." But if we hear, "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard!" the power of the comment is multiplied. The wound may linger forever.
And when the response falls in between, that can be the worst. Does it mean we've scored a 4 out of a 10, and the boss expects better? Is the boss turning against us? If praise given can be potent and inspiring, then praise withheld can be potent and disorienting.
That's the problem when we openly judge what our colleagues say to us. It can set off a chain of events beyond our control, which defeats the purpose of talking to people in the first place. Perhaps the most outrageous story about a leader's unappreciated power comes from the CEO of a telephone company. He was driving home thinking about work when he passed a solitary phone booth on a quiet residential corner. "That's an odd location for a phone booth," he thought. "I wonder how much money it earns us." The next day, he runs into a midlevel employee in the hallway, someone on the operational level, not a manager. He says, "I'm curious. How much do we make on that phone booth near my house? It's not a big deal. Don't spend a lot of time on it. Just send me a note."
The employee looks it up and starts to write that note. His manager walks by and asks, "What are you doing?"
"Oh, this is for the CEO. He stopped by and wanted to know how much we make on the phone booth by his home."
"You can't send him a little note. There's no comparison of this phone booth with other booths in the area."
So the question gets bumped up to the next level, and the next, and you can imagine the result. About two months later, an executive vice president and the original manager walk into the CEO's office with a phone-booth study in a three-ring binder that's as big as a phone book. The CEO looks at it with a blank expression and says, "I have no idea what you're talking about." He later told me that this one comment had cost his company over one million dollars!
Most bosses are smart enough to sense the impact of their statements. They know how a harmless suggestion can be taken as an order. That's why they couch their musings in carefully calibrated language intended to signal that they shouldn't be taken too seriously. The trouble is, no matter how much sweetener is sprinkled on the conversation, when the CEO is involved, it's never a fair fight.
The boxing analogy is apt. We're brought up to think of boxing as a fair contest because the fighters weigh the same. Well, if you think of everyone in an organization as having a designated weight class -- assistants are flyweights, middle managers are welterweights, and so on -- then the CEO outweighs everyone by at least 50 pounds. If he's in the ring, how can that be a fair fight?
When they're asserting their authority, CEOs are not shy about throwing their weight around. It's when they're trying to be democratic and fair that CEOs forget how much they still weigh. If you're the boss, there's no point in pulling your punches. They still carry a lot of wallop. On occasion, it's much smarter not to punch at all.
So bite your tongue. Sometimes -- more often than we know -- it's less confusing for the boss to simply say thank you or nothing at all. Because whether you intend it or not, whatever you say has the power to knock folks out.
Gifts That Keep On Giving ...and require very little money or shopping.
(^ top)
By Bev Kaye
Good, imaginative, inexpensive gifts? You can give them. Impossible? Read on.
Yes, the holidays are looming. What can you give to your employees? Choosing a gift can be a headache and an opportunity. On the opportunity side, we believe there is a wide array of gift ideas that any manager in any department of any organization could use to send a very special (and very important) message to an employee.
Giving Can Be Keeping
What do you want your gift to do? To encourage? To open some opportunities? Just to say thanks? Your gift can also double as a personalized retention strategy aimed at those employees you truly want to keep on your team.
Here are two rules to keep in mind:
- If your employees expect it, it may not be viewed as a "gift."
You may think that the annual bonus (often given at this time of year) is ample reward and recognition for work well done. Your employees may see it differently. Many bonuses - and even perks such as cell phones and health club memberships - are no longer seen as special, especially for those who have come to expect them. If that's the case, you'll have to get creative to find rewards that work!
- Rule Two: Gifts need to match your employee's needs and wants.
Yes, different strokes for different folks. Don't guess at what your employees want. Ask them. Usually their requests are not too difficult to grant and almost always they are less than you might imagine. Think about you, for example. What could your boss do that would really demonstrate how much he or she values you?
It may be a small thing after all.
Your Gift Catalogue
In case this kind of thinking doesn't come easily, we've created a list of potential gifts that can spark your creative thinking. The list is based on our research of the reasons talented people stay in organizations (A-Z). Use these ideas, or let them be catalysts for your own thinking. Build on them and remember to customize them to fit each of your employees' individual wants. Or use the list to create a gift menu from which people can select exactly the gift they want.
A. Private time with you.
Schedule lunch dates with employees. Give them an opportunity to select the luncheon site, and use the time to simply get to know them better. Tell them how critical they are to you and the team, then ASK them some questions, like:
- What can I do to keep you on my team?
- What part of your work do you find most enjoyable?
- What might make your work life easier?
- What could I do to be more supportive or to help you be even more effective?
B. A long-awaited action item - done!
Think hard about an employee who has asked you for something that you've put on your very lengthy "to do" list - and there it sits. Stop passing the BUCK. Surprise that employee - and just do it.
C. An honest talk about the future.
Offer to have a CAREER conversation with an employee. Hold it in a quiet, private place or off-site if possible. Try any or all of the following questions to get the conversation started: What part of your current job do you enjoy doing the most? Least? Which of your talents have I not yet used? What different jobs might you like to see yourself doing in the future?
D. The honor of representing the company at a conference.
Offer DIGNITY - the chance to attend an outside conference/ seminar series designed especially for their affinity group.
E. A chance to grow professionally.
Allow the employee to choose from a list of potential projects, assignments and tasks that could ENRICH his or her work.
F. Recognizing your employee's family.
Give an employee a pre-paid phone card to call FAMILY or friends (get an international card for employees with loved ones far away). Offer to have someone design a family web site and include a one-year subscription for e-mail. Give a free pass for either X-days or X-hours off to attend children's school programs or sports activities. Or ask your employee how best to honor "family." Are you open to these ideas? Your employee might decide to:
- bring a family member to work one day
- have a group event one evening with family members
- bring a pet to work
- have a "show and tell" about a hobby or something they do outside of work
- maybe even have you invite their family to dinner
G. Talking about your employee's next move:
Offer to brainstorm alternative career possibilities. (Again, do this off-site if possible.) Try to help that employee leverage options to reach his/her GOALS. Use the LEVERR framework. Consider Lateral, Enrichment, Vertical, Exploratory, Realignment (moving down to move into something else) and Relocation. (Yes, ouch… but do talk about it.)
H. Serving on an interview committee for a key position.
Allow an employee to participate in the HIRING process for a new manager - one level above or more.
I. Nourishing your employee's professional interests.
Offer a free one-year subscription to an employee's favorite business magazine and have it sent to his/her home. Satisfy their need for INFORMATION.
J. Submit to a critical employee's "pruning."
OK. This may be one of the tougher gifts to give. But here it is. Ask the employee that you never see eye to eye with, the one who is the least like you, to give you some straight talk about how you might work better together. Yes, offer this to the one who may think you're a JERK. Listen very carefully. DON'T defend. Then, take a step towards changing one behavior.
K. A unique "perk" for fun.
Give employees KICKS coupons. Explain that this entitles them to spend up to X on a way to take a break, or have some fun at work. (It could involve the entire team.) Or, offer a menu of low-cost possibilities and let them choose. Need some examples?
- taking an afternoon off to see a movie
- bringing a child (or dog) to work one day
- ordering in pizza and watching a video during lunch
- bringing your golf coach in to give a lesson to your colleagues
Or is one of your direct reports a sports nut? An opera fan? A theater buff? Probably tickets to see a favorite team, diva or playwright rank higher on the appreciation scale than that standard turkey bonus. And it shows that you care about the employee as an individual.
L. A priceless introduction.
Ask an employee for the name of someone in the organization that he/she would love to meet, chat with, and learn more about. Create the LINK. Provide an introduction and encourage your employee to decide on how he/she would like to spend time with the chosen connection.
M. A workplace personal trainer session.
Consider a gift certificate entitling an employee to lunch with you or another MENTOR of his/her choosing for the purpose of being coached on one or more topics.
N. Three wishes.
Think about a key employee that you don't want to lose. Run the NUMBERS on the cost of replacing that employee. (List every cost - soft and hard - that you can think of.) Now compute the cost of offering that employee some stay here incentives. (Think of incentives other than money, and base your list on what you know about that person.) Pick three that you would be willing to offer. Now set a date to chat.
O. Open a new door.
Brainstorm an OPPORTUNITY hit list with an employee - some might be about growing, learning, stretching, in some new way. Others could be related to a chance to see another part of the business. Prioritize the list and then open a door!
P. Blend your employee's work and passion.
Have a PASSION Breakfast. (Maybe this is something you offer to all your employees, as a team, or one on one.) Simply ask… What do you love to do? At work? Outside of work? Brainstorm a bit and then commit to helping build more of this into the workday.
Q. An exception to the rules.
Give a Bend the Rules pass that involves and encourages bending (or breaking) the status quo. Then stay open and bend as much as you can when a request is made. Show that you'll QUESTION the rules.
R. Play genie in a bottle to your employee's recognition wish list.
Ask an employee to write down six ways they would like to be REWARDed. Anything goes. The only rule is that half the ideas need to be low cost or no cost.
S. Help them feel at home at work.
Offer a shopping spree to a local supply store for an employee to get items (no staplers or paper clips allowed) to personalize his/her SPACE: office, vehicle, work station or cubicle.
T. Listen to the truth - over lunch!
Talk about gift giving. This one - the TRUTH - is powerful. We know of one division head who gave each employee $50, told them to choose a restaurant and take their manager out to lunch for some straight talk and honest feedback about performance and development needs.
U. A chance to download.
Give 12 coupons for listening time - one for each month where an employee can come for 20 minutes and talk to you about anything. Your job is to UNDERSTAND, i.e., just listen.
V. Honor your employee's values.
Over a cappuccino, glass of wine, or a cup of tea, try asking one of your employees any of these questions:
- What makes a perfect day at work?
- Looking back, what's made you the most satisfied?
- What does success mean to you?
Take notes. Read your notes back to that employee. What have you both learned about his/her VALUES? How can you put that information to use?
W. A day of improving health.
Have a limousine pick up an employee for a full day at a spa. Give gift coupons for Tai-Chi, yoga or golf lessons. You get the idea! Encourage WELLNESS.
X. Play time.
Give a fun-loving X-ER (or anyone) a series of Get out and Play cards that they can be redeemed at his/her discretion. For example: Leave work early to go to a movie, or shopping, or play extreme Frisbee.
Y. The starring role, for once.
Give an employee a chance to lead that project that you've been hoarding for yourself. (You'll know which it is!) Offer the spotlight. YIELD. Coach when necessary. What has he/she learned? What did you learn?
Z. Your promise to repeat the gift.
If this kind of gift giving worked, offer to do it again - before next December! Now you've reached the gift-giving ZENITH.
And Back to You
Doesn't it feel great when you give a gift that is right on? You get a double reward from this kind of gift-giving. The return on your investment (of time, energy and money) is the promise of building a more productive and fulfilling workplace. And you can do it while increasing your own home team's loyalty (yes, it does still exist) and commitment.
Happy Holidays
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