Page 119 - Build a Culture of Employee Engagement with the Principles

90 Carrots and Sticks Don’t Work

2. “I shouldn’t have to thank my employees for doing
their jobs.” Try to change your mind-set so that you view
employee recognition as part of your job. The most impor-
tant job of any leader is to increase the value of the compa-
ny’s human resources. Recognizing employees increases their
discretionary effort and, in turn, increases the human capi-
tal of the organization. Moreover, if you fail to recognize your
employees, they lose respect and become less productive. If
your own philosophical beliefs about work prevent you from
acknowledging your employees, then you need to stop manag-
ing people.
3. “It’s not my personality.” It’s not in my personal-
ity to wash dishes, exercise regularly, or maintain my car.
I do those things because they make my life work. Praising
employees works. Supervisors need not act like high school
cheerleaders; they simply have to sincerely acknowledge
employees’ contributions. While one supervisor might high-
five an employee and say, “Way to go!” another might simply
shake hands and say, “Thank you.” You don’t need to change
your core personality to effectively recognize employees.
4. “I don’t want to manipulate other people.” This one
always makes me laugh. We are constantly manipulating other
people because we are always “consequating” their behavior.
In other words, how we respond or don’t respond to others
affects them. Imagine saying hello to your boss as you see her
walking toward you and all the possible responses. She might
rush by you and say nothing, say hello back, or stop and ask
about your weekend. Of course, there are numerous possible
scenarios and we haven’t even considered the impact of how
she might have spoken to you, including tone of voice or vari-
ous nonverbal factors such as eye contact. So, when your boss
walks by and gives a quick “Hey” while reading her Blackberry,
is she trying to manipulate you with her response? Of course