Page 85 - How Great Leaders Build Abundant Organizations That Win

THE WHY OF WORK

quiet service? Who works to engage others? As you thought-
fully observe employees, you can begin to see patterns that
reflect each employee’s identity.
Collectively, these observations reveal predispositions,
strengths, and weaknesses that form an identity pattern,
helping leaders know how to engage the hearts, not just the
hands and heads, of their team.

Conversations

Leaders may not think much about conversations they have
with employees, but these conversations are often extremely
potent for employees. Some of these conversations occur
in formal performance review settings, where you evaluate
productivity and potential. Often more crucial conversa-
tions occur when you quietly share your observations with
employees. Some of these conversations may be about nega-
tive behaviors; others are about positive ones.
Child behavior experts find that punishing conversa-
tions make children fearful or angry but do little to change
children’s behavior. Much more effective are parents who
frequently and warmly pay attention to and point out behav-
ior that is appreciated and appropriate and pay minimal
attention to problems. Discipline works best when a privi-
lege is withheld briefly from a child with minimal display of
parental emotion or engagement. The most effective parents
reserve attention (and negative attention is still attention) for
behavior they want to see more of.
Leaders do well to follow a similar pattern, commenting
on, praising, and rewarding constructive work behavior and
mostly ignoring annoyances. When a serious problem must
be corrected, it is best to do so with minimal engagement
by withholding pay or privileges, not engaging in yelling

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