Page 210 - Everything I Know About Business I Learned

Everything I Know About Business I Learned at McDonald’s

at a five-star restaurant ourselves; we were still dazzled by the
thought of a night out on the company. But as retired senior
executive Paul Schrage told me, “It recognized you as more than
just that guy who comes to work every day.”
And the use of recognition has other benefits as well. In an
article entitled “Being Smart Only Takes You So Far” published
in the January 2007 issue of Training and Development, the
author, Bob Wall mentions: “Leaders should increase the
amount of praise they offer to staff. Yet a recent Gallop Poll
revealed that 65 percent of Americans haven’t received
recognition in the past year. A United States Department of
Labor study found that the number one reason why people leave
organizations is that they don’t feel appreciated. The Gallup
study found that increasing employee recognition lowers
turnover, raises customer loyalty, and increases productivity.”

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Roots and Wings
McDonald’s arguably takes employee recognition a step further
than most organizations. Its home office includes “Partners
Park,” situated on McDonald’s landscaped campus. The park
features a circular wall on which is inscribed the names of every
employee who has served the company for 25 years—a
corporate version of a star on Hollywood Boulevard. The wall
surrounds a huge bronze sculpture, a replica of the award that
all partners receive to commemorate their 25 years at the firm.
The sculpture is called “Roots and Wings,” the phrase I’ve heard
spoken by Fred Turner, the former chairman and CEO of
McDonald’s, now the company’s honorary chairman. “Roots”
is McDonald’s very foundation—its standards, ethics, quality,
service, and cleanliness (QSC). “Wings” evokes the latitude
employees are given to tweak and prod the system in striving
forward. Its message is clear.