Reward Requires Action

(The last two issues of the Newsletter covered Part 1: "The Dilemma in Today's Corporate World: To Manage or to Lead that is the Question", Part 2: "The Role of Recognizing in Leading.": This series presented the first two parts of the concept of using the 3-R's of Leadership. Today is Part 3 of the three  "R's" - "Reward."

Everyone enjoys getting a reward for work that they produce or for actions that they share. People may work for the reward of a paycheck or for the self-fulfilling reward that comes from a job well done. Rewards can be a variety of different things to different people, but whatever rewards are they mean nothing if they are withheld. As a motivational speaker, I believe in rewarding my audience for attending and I reward anyone who participates in activities in the program. The result of this action is that more people volunteer, my programs are more successful, and the audience is more willing to learn because everyone's actions are being rewarded.

      Rewards simply put are something that someone considers to have value, it is not necessarily of a costly value. Have you ever been given a reward and while you know it didn't cost someone a great deal, the reward itself was invaluable. Some of the rewards I have enjoyed the most probably cost businesses the least. One was a special parking spot that designated me as the employee of the year, Other rewards were, an add in the newspaper with my photo stating that I had been nominated as Humanitarian of the Year, my name in the company newsletter for completing a project, a free ticket for a drawing,  or a special card. 

      If we are creative in how we reward the people we work with and for, then our rewards are very likely going to be something they enjoy. If your not sure what they would like for a reward then ask! Remember that rewards reinforce a desired behavior. Therefore, if I reward your hard work with a little time off or a special parking space, then I have reinforced your willingness to go the extra mile again. Remember there is usually very little traffic on the extra mile highway. Therefore, it is vital that we reward those who are willing to travel that road. We get more of the behaviors that we reward, because we reinforce that behavior. Remember that if everyone in the world is not as motivated as we are and there are many reasons for this. Because some people lack motivation, it is our task and challenge to help reward them and motivate them to participate. Without getting into a psychology lesson let me share that I have used this approach in every area of my life and career. I seek rewards that have value to the recipient, often I ask them what they would like, and sometimes I try out new ideas someone outside our area has thought of. 

Exercise:      

Rewards should be used in all areas of our life. At home, we should reward those we love including ourselves. However, remember that rewards require actions. Good intentions often fall short, because they fail to get done. Most rewards take 10 minutes or less to complete. (I use the 10-minute rule - for more information on applying the 10-minute rule contact us.) Keep a variety of either humorous sticky notes, special cards, or stickers with you at all times - pick them up when you are out on another errand. Then when someone does something a stop and grab a note, sticky note or sticker and immediately go reward that person for what they have done. It isn’t the sticky notes that make the people feel appreciated it is the acknowledgement and the fact that someone took the time to personally acknowledge them. With technology, we lose some of the personal touch by only texting or emailing, a call and a handwritten note show that you put forth extra effort. Whom can you appreciate today! Keep your eyes and ears open and you may be discover there are more opportunities than you may have first thought.

Quote:

REWARD is self-explanatory it means
Realizing Everyone's Worth and Assuring Recognition is Delivered. By C. Krosky

The Role of Recognizing in Leading

Part II from April 22 "The Dilemma in Today's Corporate World: To Manage or to Lead that is the Question “The concept of using the 3-R's of Leadership was introduced and Role Modeling was the focus
in that issue.)

Recognizing has two components: 1) the ability to express that we care and value individuals and 2) the ability to recognize positive traits or qualities, so that we may motivate others. Leaders that care are practicing the skill of recognizing others as being a valuable person or asset to their lives. This type of leadership often requires the development and improvement of personal or "soft" skills. There needs to be a comfort level with this type of recognition as it needs to feel sincere, yet professional. These more personal skills when exhibited to employee, coworkers, customers, and even family allow us to show that we care about these individuals. After all we should care, these are either people. Because if they are employees we have  hired, or that we believe enough in them to trust our business reputation on  the work that they will perform, and if they are our family, we should care  because we love them. Research shows that most people work harder if they feel the people they are appreciated and cared about by the people they work with. These people are more tolerant when times are challenging. They are the positive publicity in the community and on social media. business. Regardless of what generation or culture a person belongs to feeling appreciated increases respect, productivity, and tolerance when times are tough

On April 22 the blog focused on being a role model as a leader. Do the things you want others to do. If you want people to speak to you in the morning then speak to them in the morning, don’t wait for them to do this first. If you want people to go above and beyond then be sure you walk down the extra mile highway, set the example. This basic step opens the door for increased ability to recognize others as people. The second part to recognizing others is to see that they have positive  traits and qualities. Leading is about empowering people to use their skills so that they excel. Involve employees in sharing ideas and encourage them to  share ideas before you ask. We can help empower employees by making sure that  the right employ is matched to the right job. Ask employees what they like to  do, what skills they already know they have, and what skills they want to  develop. Look for opportunities to match them with tasks that match their  ability and stretch their ability. Then practice verbal recognition for their  efforts and for their talents. When we recognize talents and give people the  potential to grow, we are encouraging professional and personal growth. Both  of which pay off for the business and the person. This simple and yet readily  available tool of recognizing people is often based by. How often do you  practice recognizing people you see on a daily basis?

An Exercise for increasing recognition.
Place 5 pennies in one pocket. Throughout the day look for ways to recognize  people for tasks well done, or for showing that they care. When you recognize someone, move a penny from one pocket to the opposite pocket. Each time you walk, these penny will be a gentle reminder of how many times you have recognized people. If you are able to switch all five before the end of the day, then begin moving them back to the other pocket. Some people make it a practice to move them two twice a day, so that they will have recognized the
work and effort of others at least 10 times during the day. The cost of this is 5 cents, the payoff is a great deal more.

I once had a client, look at me and plainly state that they didn't think that they would be able to move one penny, because their employees rarely did anything extraordinary. I reminded them recognizing employees sometimes begins with recognizing them for the little things, like showing up. How far behind would things get if the employee wasn't there for a day or a week. Recognize even the little things that are going on. Showing up may seem little, but imagine how difficult a day would be if everyone called out sick.

Quote: "A good leader understands that recognizing the strengths of those they work with is their key role. For recognition creates motivation and motivation instills dedication." C. Krosky

"The worker must t feel that he is recognized in accordance with his contribution to success. If he does not have that feeling o f self-respect and the respect of others because of his skill, he will think he is being
'played for a sucker' if he increases his output so the owners can have more
profit." James F. Lincoln.
Thank You and Have a Great Day!