Why Not Try Becoming a Leader as Cheerleader?

Leaders are frequently reminded to give feedback (with an emphasis on critical feedback), manage performance (emphasis on low performance), and one of my least favorite sayings “hire slow, fire fast.” Of course we need to give feedback, offer support, and course correct when people are struggling. But let’s not overemphasize the need to give critical feedback when the majority of people on your team are probably performing on a scale of good to great.?

I spent time in more than one large company that focused to a fault on identifying the bottom x percent, to the extent that they completely? lost sight of a much more pressing question:?

“How do you continuously recognize and re-recruit your best performers?”?

People Need More Recognition

Some research on marital relationships suggests that a ratio of 5:1 (five compliments for every negative remark) is the right mix . And while there’s no exact formula that tells us how often employees need to be recognized, Gallup suggests that at least weekly is a good place to start.?

Unfortunately, managers are not keeping up. “At any given company, it's not uncommon for employees to feel that their best efforts are routinely ignored. Further, employees who do not feel adequately recognized are twice as likely to say they'll quit in the next year.”

Catch People Doing Things Right

By now you should be taking inventory of how much time and energy you spend with people across the performance spectrum. We’ve been trained to monitor, audit, and spot mistakes.?

What if you shift your mindset, and instead try to catch people doing things well? When you see it - say something! Speak up, and be specific. Congratulate them on a job well done - how they ran a meeting, or the way they navigated a difficult decision. Praise and recognition come in many forms, often with little or no financial cost.?

Did someone on your team do a great job today? Trying thanking them using any of of these:

• An email or Slack message
• A public or private compliment
• A hand written card?
• A gift card for a cup of coffee, cupcake, or other treat

A Worthwhile Experiment

Several months ago I realized the Reverb team was running like a well oiled machine. People had good instincts, were using judgment, and taking fantastic care of each other and our clients. Yet they were often self critical, feeling like they could do more, or over emphasizing even the smallest mistake.?

That’s why I recently made it my mission to become their cheerleader. Rather than just smiling to myself when I saw someone complete an important milestone or make a game changing suggestion, I took the extra step. I thanked them, made good use of the clapping hands emoji ??????, and did my best to share affirming thoughts like “great idea” and “you’ve got this” out loud in team meetings.?

My goal is that this won’t be an isolated experiment, but will soon become a habit. Well placed praise doesn’t cost you anything yet it can be incredibly meaningful especially to people who hear from you less often. As the Galup article I mentioned earlier rightfully says “Great managers know that they can never give too much recognition as long as it's honest and deserved.”