Page 126 - Build a Culture of Employee Engagement with the Principles

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Recognition

on leadership. While writing this chapter, I decided to ask David
for his thoughts on how best to recognize employees. He shared
with me the following example:

Let’s say I ask John to come to my office. Everybody,
including John, thinks he is in trouble because when
we were kids we only got called to the principal’s office
for doing something bad. John comes into my office,
and I ask him to sit down. I say, “Hi, John. How’s it
going?” He tells me. Then I say, “The reason I brought
you in today is that you’re doing a really great job
and I wanted you to know that. I also wanted to hear if
you have any ideas on how we could do things better.”
Wow—this will blow John away and make him feel
good because it’s personal and one-on-one. I’m asking
for his ideas, and this shows him that I respect him.
Taking the time to recognize your employees and ask
for their ideas shows that you care and means more
to them than anything. I got a plaque once for being
a good supervisor, and it went right into the trash on
the way home because I did not feel like they meant it.

David “gets it,” and that’s why his work crews consistently
outperform those of other team leaders. In fact, employees ask
to be moved to his shift. Recognizing employees and showing
them respect isn’t about plaques and gift cards; it’s about some-
thing much more valuable—your sincere approval and your
time. As human beings we are hard-wired to seek approval and
acknowledgment from those we respect. Just as important, we
seek to avoid disapproval. Have you ever had someone you really
respected tell you that they were disappointed in you? It feels