Designing Successful Organizational Recognition
By Bob Nelson

Organizational recognition programs, if properly designed, have the potential to radically and positively alter the entire climate and bottom-line outcomes of an organization. When designing the program, there are a handful of the factors to consider... (read more...)

Leadership at the Top
By Gary Cohen

I lead a small company, and I manage it very tightly. In meetings, I find I am the only one offering ideas, while others do not contribute. Although my ideas have really worked to grow the company, I feel I am doing it alone. What should I do? (read more...)

Mentor: Be One; You'll Double the Odds of Keeping Them
By Bev Kaye

A recent study said mentored employees are twice as likely to stay as employees with no mentor. The even better news is mentoring doesn’t have to be difficult or even time-consuming. In fact, here are five simple recommendations for mentoring behaviors that you can begin to apply today. (read more...)

Designing Successful Organizational Recognition (^ top)
By Bob Nelson

Organizational recognition programs, if properly designed, have the potential to radically and positively alter the entire climate and bottom-line outcomes of an organization. When designing the program, there are a handful of the factors to consider:

Focus: Make what you want to recognize the bulls’-eye of your recognition target. Aim for it, hit it, and you will get what you want. In organizational recognition, focus is particularly vital because there may be many other factors competing for attention. It is vital that only the critical behavior is recognized --- not one that merely mimics the desired results.

Clarity: The conditions that will trigger recognition, and the criteria that will be used to make recognition decisions, must be clear to everyone in the organization before “the game” begins. In addition, the person receiving the recognition must be able to easily see how it is directly related to his or her actions, and realize that they deserve it. This is called “creating a clear line of sight.”

Readiness: The organization must be ready to implement an organizational recognition program, and many companies fail to appreciate the challenge. It is usually better to begin implementing an organizational recognition program when there are no other major programs competing with it, and when the organizational recognition program is linked so some other key initiative, such as quality or safety improvement.

Sponsorship: Any organizational recognition program begins with strong sponsorship. Sponsorship means that an executive, or somebody with similar stature and credibility within the organization, actively supports and champions the program.

Alignment: Recognition activities being done at different levels and in different areas of the organization must be consistent and coordinated. If the most critical behaviors and results are not recognized uniformly at all levels, the organization goals will be compromised.

Accessibility: Recognition should be accessible to everyone, and everyone should have a chance to be a winner.

Presentation: The way recognition is delivered to recipients can be as important as the recognition itself. To be effective in today’s knowledge-based and highly technical workplace, it’s more important than ever to be “high-touch” as well as high-tech. Make the effort to recognize as personal as possible. Employees remember the presentation long after the prize is forgotten.

As you consider these factors, keep two things in mind: (1) not every factor must be in place every time for your organizational recognition program to be effective, and (2) factors will be effective only if properly applied.

Leadership at the Top (^ top)
By Gary Cohen

I lead a small company, and I manage it very tightly. In meetings, I find I am the only one offering ideas, while others do not contribute. Although my ideas have really worked to grow the company, I feel I am doing it alone. What should I do?

If you think you are talking too much, so does everybody else.

Growing up with movies like Patton and watching world leaders on the news every night has led to the illusion that leadership means repeatedly giving your opinions. The old school of “command and control” management has been around for decades, passed from one generation to the next. Some leaders may lack self-esteem, and the notion of controlling others may seem an attractive alternative to being controlled.

Remember: If you are not asking questions, you are making assumptions.

Mike, a former CEO and Chairman of a Fortune 100 company, would lead a meeting by first asking a question. He would then listen to the answers from each person present. Mike did not believe it was his job to give his opinion, but to listen to and observe the problem solving of others. He would monitor the room for how people were contributing and, if he noticed someone was not speaking much, he would be overly encouraging and supportive toward that person. This was true even when the employee’s comments were not on track with Mike’s agenda. Mike found that, by providing heavy doses of support over a course of five or six meetings, he could usually draw the employee out to be a fully functioning part of the team. Mike was clear that, if the employee continued to be withdrawn, it was likely he or she would have to move on.

When he encountered an employee who was talking too much in meetings, Mike applied a different strategy. Careful to avoid belittling the person in front of others, Mike would make a sharp comment or a non-verbal gesture that emphasized his desire to hear from everybody.

As a coach, I have been intrigued by Mike’s technique of asking a single question. I have witnessed other leaders use similar techniques, but found them to be somewhat limiting. A team often needs leadership, rather than just consensus. Mike demonstrated that his technique still provided leadership. If certain employee comments began guiding the discussion away from the company’s visions, goals, objectives, and values, Mike would simply ask, “How does this help us meet our goal?” or, “Is this in alignment with our vision?” He had a motto, which he taught to everyone, including me: “E 3: Earnings, Earnings, Earnings.”

Mike tells the story of an analyst who asked him about his goals for the company. Mike’s answer was simply, “Earnings.” When asked if he had other goals, Mike said, “Oh, yes. Our second goal is earnings, and our third goal is earnings.” There was no need to ask about additional goals!

As a true leader, Mike ensured understanding. He had a clear message and a clear focus. Printed on company shirts, hats, and posters, E 3 became the symbol for driving the corporation forward. When an employee’s comments were not aligned with E 3, Mike set the employee back on course and made it clear to others that this was not acceptable.

Mike understands the value of asking questions and doing what all great leaders do— LISTENING. If you want to see change in your company, follow Mike’s example: Ask the question, then be silent and listen. The books on leadership speak much about courage. It takes courage to trust your team. It takes courage to believe your employees will deliver ideas and execute them successfully. Facing the fear of giving up control is what I call “Leadership at the top.” You may be surprised how much your people know and want to contribute.

Mentor: Be One; You'll Double the Odds of Keeping Them (^ top)
By Bev Kaye

A recent study said mentored employees are twice as likely to stay as employees with no mentor. The even better news is mentoring doesn’t have to be difficult or even time-consuming. In fact, here are five simple recommendations for mentoring behaviors that you can begin to apply today.

So What’s a Mentor to Do?

M odel

The best mentors serve as models for their mentees. Be aware of your own role-modeling, plus point out others who are good role models for your people. Be authentic. Let people see you handling situations — both good and bad — under both great conditions and poor ones. It takes courage to show the real you, but it does pay off.

E ncourage

Support your people in the risk taking that’s essential to their growth. Encouragement truly is “all-in-the-eye-of-the-perceiver.” An employee says, “He never encouraged me.” Meanwhile, the manager says, “I encouraged her all the time.” Find out if your employees are feeling encouraged or discouraged by you and your actions. Then shift your behaviors to support employees more and cheer on those talented people you can't do without.

N urture

Get to know your people, including their unique skills, talents, and capabilities. Show them you care. Support their ideas and encourage them to become creative problem solvers. Nurture the relationship you have with them. Have coffee and find out how their families are, or learn about their favorite sports or beloved pets.

T each
O rganizational
R eality

Everyone knows at least one sad story of a brilliant employee with everything to offer who derailed because of political blunders, poor interpersonal skills, or ignorance of the unwritten rules. You can effectively mentor and prevent those missteps by telling it like it is. Your people want to know your point of view. They want to know your take on how people get and give resources, what kinds of influence strategies work and don’t work, what certain senior leaders want and don’t want in their reports, their presentations, their meetings. And they want to know this before they walk into a minefield, or, at the very least, they want to be able to look at something that didn’t work and understand why.

To Do
Invite your employees to talk about any of the following questions. You start.

-- What have I learned about what counts in this organization?
-- How have my failures and successes helped me to develop?
-- What most surprised me about the culture? And what was the most difficult shift for me to make?
-- What are the ways to really get in hot water around here?
-- How do people derail themselves?
-- What do I know now that I wish I knew then?

The Bottom Line
We have never heard of a manager who mentored too much and thereby lost an employee. We’ve never heard of a manager who coached too often and thereby lost an employee’s trust. We’ve never heard of a manager who talked too frequently about how he or she saw the organizational world and failed to retain talent for that reason. Your employees want you to teach them the ropes, and they know their careers will suffer if you don’t. The manager who is able to adapt mentoring behaviors as part of the everyday work will find that there is a strong payback in employee loyalty and retention.

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