Page 199 - Appreciative Leadership

172 Appreciative Leadership

Appreciative Leadership empowers others to principled perfor-

mance by helping them articulate and act on principles. This may be
done by gathering people to discuss questions like those listed above;
sharing and analyzing high-point stories for principles of success; or
on-the-job coaching. To feel good about themselves, people must also
feel good about what they do, the quality of their work, and the people
with whom they work.
Sometimes people need to hear “well done” based on their prin-
ciples. Other times they need coaching, to identify their principles
and work to their own highest standards of excellence. Liz’s story
illustrates this:

She was having old tile floors in her home replaced with beau-
tiful hardwood. By all standards, the team installing the new

floor was doing a great job. And then they got to the kitchen.
As they pulled out the refrigerator one last time to level it, they
created visible scratches on the new fl oor. Sounds of frustra-
tion echoed through the house. Everyone huddled over the
scratches. Could they be sanded out? Are they really notice-
able? Should the scratched planks be replaced? Th e supervi-

sor on the job said, “Liz, it’s your floor. It is up to you. What
would you like us to do?”
Liz thought about her own work principles for a while,
and then she spoke to the two young installers: “I can live with
the scratches. I am sure I will create even more over time. Th e
real question is, can you? It’s your decision. What do you need
to do to have pride in your work when you finish this project?”

The two looked at each other, smiled, and began pulling out
the scratched planks. The next day as they finished and were

leaving, one of the young men said to Liz, “I think this is the

best floor I have ever done. Thanks for giving us the choice to

do it right. It felt a lot better than being told what to do.”