When it comes to what we communicate to our employees, few messages have as much impact as offering words of praise to those we lead. The importance of praise to an organization’s success has been shown in numerous studies performed by management experts, psychologists, and neurologists. One study even demonstrated how just saying ‘thank you’ to your employees can lead to an increase in productivity and employee engagement.
Of course, even without the empirical evidence proffered by these various studies, most of us understand the value of praise and its potent ability to serve as a positive motivator/driver for action. So if we’ve read the studies and/or are familiar from our own personal experiences and education about the importance of praise, why then aren’t leaders communicating it more to those under their stewardship?
In most cases, the easy culprit to pin the blame on is the increasing number of distractions now on our collective radars, or the stresses brought on by trying to navigate a global economy that’s in perpetual flux. But is this lack of praise really do to external factors, or is it perhaps more a reflection of how we communicate praise to those we lead or work side by side with?
Is it not possible that in most cases, what we’re seeing is not a lack of praise being offered but a lack of effectiveness in relaying that message in a manner that is meaningful to the person we’re giving it to?
If so, how do we make sure we’re effective in giving praise to our employees so that they do understand how much we value and appreciate their contributions to our shared purpose?
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With many of us enjoying a festive long weekend, both here in Canada as well as in the United States, I was reminded about the inspiration behind one of my most popular posts from the last several months, that touched on the connection between having a fun time and employee engagement. For recent readers of my blog, I’m sure you’ll find this an enjoyable and inspiring read. And for those of you who have been reading my blog for the last year or so, this will be a pleasant reminder of how to encourage collaboration and engagement within your team.
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Inspiration can be a curious thing.
I’m always amazed at how seemingly unrelated pieces can stir up new ideas or perspectives about our world and the way we live and conduct ourselves within it. Take, for example, this commercial released on YouTube last week by Coca-Cola called the “Happiness Machine”.
While the commercial is effective in creating this idea of Coca-Cola being a source of happiness, there’s also a valuable lesson here that can be imparted to business leaders in how they interact with their employees.
This past Tuesday, I had the opportunity to appear as a guest on the Real Recognition Radio show, which airs every Tuesday at 1PM Eastern Standard Time (EST) on the VoiceAmerica Business channel. In this week’s episode, titled “A Better Workplace Conversation”, hosts Roy Saunderson and S. Max Brown interviewed feedback expert Sonia Di Maulo and myself on the issues of leadership, workplace interactions and fostering motivation in employees (Sonia has written a follow-up piece about our interview on her blog. I invite you to check it out and find out what key points stood out from this discussion).
For those who didn’t get a chance to hear the radio broadcast, or who’d like to hear the show again, you can listen to the interview using the audio player below. Or if you prefer, you can download a MP3 copy of the show from the Real Recognition Radio show web page.
Some of the topics discussed during this show include:
Why giving positive feedback is critical to creating a productive workplace.
How listening can foster opportunities for growth.
Why the best leaders are those who focus on serving those they lead.
The importance of praise and recognition in the workplace and how we can start implementing it today.
How we can engage our employees in these tough economic times.
Why leaders should encourage a more emotional workplace.
What are the most important opportunities facing organizations today.
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I want to take this opportunity to thank Roy Saunderson and S. Max Brown for inviting me to appear on their show. It was a pleasure to share my insights on leadership and motivating employees with your listeners. And I look forward to hearing your thoughts about this conversation on leadership and motivating employees.
What ideas resonated with you and what would you add to the discussion on these issues?
I’m always amazed at how seemingly unrelated pieces can stir up new ideas or perspectives about our world and the way we live and conduct ourselves within it. Take, for example, this commercial released on YouTube last week by Coca-Cola called the “Happiness Machine”.
While the commercial is effective in creating this idea of Coca-Cola being a source of happiness, there’s also a valuable lesson here that can be imparted to business leaders in how they interact with their employees.
Photo courtesy of 
