Acknowledging Your People

Ask Andi: We overlook the power of acknowledging our people. What a lesson. Eyes wide open now. How do we build this into culture?

Thoughts of the Day: Acknowledge your people. It’s is a powerful tool. So is appreciation. Build a business culture around it. Lead by example.

Acknowledge your people

Assess the company, to the bottom. Instill positive culture. Listen as people respond:

Do we reflect a positive outlook?
Are employees happy to work here and do what they’re doing?
Do suppliers and customers mirror our positive outlook?

Then move on to a rigorous personal assessment:

How does my attitude influence everyone around me?
What can I do to build an upbeat environment by realizing that employees, customers, and vendors all strive to benefit each other?

Finally, ask about recognition systems:

Can my people trust that their efforts will be appreciated?
What can I do to make people more comfortable giving positive feedback?

The answers to these questions will speak volumes about how well your company does in the acknowledgment department.

People matter

As CEO you have tremendous influence. The tone you set leads to more of the same. If you are always criticizing, always looking at the downside, your people will pick that up and mirror it. Regularly recognizing people when they do their best can lead to an environment where people stretch to do their best consistently.

Start by giving credit where credit is due. No company would be where it is if the only person working in the company was the CEO. Give people positive feedback they can build upon by noting their efforts to do a good job.

Don’t overlook problems. Pose them in the context of, here’s what you’ve done right, here’s what I need you to work on next, I’m confident that given your successful performance on other tasks you’ll be able to master this one as well. If someone is struggling, figure out if they should be in the job or if they should move on. Don’t spoil the mood in the company by tolerating poor performance and then being frustrated by what you see.

Acknowledgment isn’t just something you do while walking around the company. Set up goals and reports to review performance. Look for specific examples of where people achieve results. Revenue, service levels, profit, and productivity are easy to measure and recognize.

Create a culture of recognition

Have a monthly meeting where you go over reports, hand out gold stars, and thank people for their contributions. Ask managers to share specific examples at company meetings. Teach all your employees how to give acknowledgments. In addition to recognizing performers, use job-well-done examples to teach other people what you’re looking for.

Each day make a list of people you’ve observed doing good work. Send out thank-you notes. Each week spend time walking around, observing, and commenting on the good things you see happening. Also make notes on things that need improving, in the context of, “Now that we’ve achieved x, it’s time to work on y.”

Encourage people by showing them the upside – the appreciation that goes with a job well done. Reward people when they take initiative by making them shining examples in front of their peers. Make sure that your employees, customers, and vendors all know how much you value them.