The Secret Ingredient Great Leaders Use to Inspire Their Team
John Eades
Molding More Effective Leaders | Executive Coach | Leadership Development | Keynote Speaker | Workshops | Sales Training | Author
Think back to a time when you received authentic appreciation or recognition from a boss or colleague. Chances are you felt pride, joy, and fulfillment about yourself and the place you chose to work.
Beyond positive feelings, recognition does something powerful in your brain. Without any additional effort, you will remember and attempt to replicate what caused the praise to happen in the first place. In other words, recognition for your prior effort influences your future behavior.
Recognition for prior effort influences future behavior.?
However, most managers and leaders don’t recognize both the short-term benefit or long-term impact recognition has on their team members. Because of this, they aren’t doing enough of it. A?study ?by Glassdoor found that 80% of employees would be willing to work harder for an appreciative boss, and 70% said they’d feel better about themselves and their efforts if their boss thanked them more regularly. If that weren’t important enough,?63% of employees ?who feel recognized are unlikely to look for another job.
Recognition is the Secret Ingredient to Inspire
Author Fred Reichheld, in his book Winning on Purpose said, "Giving praise and recognition is the secret ingredient great leaders use to inspire their team because it provides the essential fuel to win on purpose."
Authentic recognition improves productivity, performance, and engagement while at the same time reducing voluntary turnover. In other words,?
Recognition Fuels Short Term Engagement and Fuels Long Term Performance
Since giving praise and recognition isn’t a strong suit for most leaders, there is something you can use called the 3 x 3 Praise Model from my book Building the Best to help. The first three parts of the model share what to do when giving praise. You can see the model below or download a copy?here for free .
1. Be definitive.?
Clarify what the team member did to deserve the recognition. Instead of just focusing on the result of their work, focus on the behavior that produced it.?
Great recognition focuses on the behavior that produced the outcome, not the result itself.
2. Discuss the impact of their behavior.?
Highlight the impact their behavior had on the team, organization, or themselves. This is critical and often forgotten or assumed. People need to know the work they do helps fulfill the mission and purpose of the team.??
People need to know the work they do helps fulfill the mission and purpose of the team.?
Spell out what good things happened or could happen because of their extra effort.?
3. Show Genuine appreciation.?
Tell them how much it meant to you and how much you appreciate what they did for the team. People can see right through a pile of inauthentic words. Take time, write or say real meaningful words.??
Closing
I am more convinced than ever that no leader can have a fully engaged team without providing praise and recognition. If that wasn't enough, in this crazy talent war, where voluntary turnover is at an all-time high, leaders must make a concerted effort to provide five times the amount of recognition than feedback.
Since your leadership is temporary, stop waiting to give recognition, do it today.
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About the Author?John Eades?is the CEO of?LearnLoft , a leadership development company helping executives and managers to lead their best. He was named one of LinkedIn’s Top Voices in Management & Workplace. John is also the author of?Building the Best: 8 Proven Leadership Principles to Elevate Others to Success . You can follow him on Instagram?@johngeades .
Assistant Site Supervisor, South Division
2 年This is something bigger companies struggle with. I’ve seen employees leave like it’s a revolving door. Having said that, I truly care about my teammates, and in return there’s loyalty, respect and friendship. Appreciate them…it makes a difference!
Lead Histology Team Manager at SYNLAB UK & Ireland
2 年Completely agree. Being recognised for hard work is one the most positive feedback you can give to your staff..
Finance and HR Professional with backgrounds in nonprofits, state/local government, and breweries.
2 年I did get great feedback from the bosses and felt on Cloud 9 all weekend.. Come Monday get pulled into a room and told I am being let go as they cannot afford me any more. So for the next couple weeks I get to cancel my annual vacation to save money and head into trying to find a job instead. Last time I looked it took me almost 2 years and much of that was due to Covid.
Generational Change Maker| Bilingual Mental Health Advocate and Holistic Health Practitioner ????????♀?????
2 年Authenticity is the key. One must be genuine. Words are just words but it is the emotion that is attached to those words is what makes the difference. Employees may not remember what you say but what and how you make them feel.