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Lori McKnight
VP Recognition at CSI STARS. It's all about people.I have the best job in the world encouraging people to recognize each other, more often.
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I came across an oldie
but goodie leadership article in Harvard Business Review that
offers timeless management advice. While what we “schlock” and how we schlock
it changes with the times, business at its core has always been and will always
be about people. Leaders are more likely to fail because they don’t recognize
what their people need than because they don’t understand their company’s
products or services.
According to an
Interact/Harris online poll of 1000 employees, 91% of employees cited
poor communication (aka low emotional intelligence, or EQ) as a factor limiting
their manager's effectiveness and impeding their road to a top job. This is
important because bad bosses can make or break your organization's ability to
meet its goals. It doesn't matter how smart your executives are; it takes
engaged employees to meet targets and grow. Managers can have either a positive
or negative effect on employee engagement, performance and retention. They set
the tone and culture of your workplace, impacting morale, how your customers
are treated and the talent you hold onto. Employees don't leave companies; they
leave managers.
The No. 1 Fatal Flaw
It's estimated that one
in three managers exhibit a fatal flaw but are completely unaware of it,
despite the fact those around them recognize their blind spots. Many of
the fatal flaws employees
see in their managers involve a lack of recognition. These errors
of omission center around managers not recognizing employee achievements, when
credit is due, the value of face-to-face meetings, that it takes a team, the
need for regular feedback and that employees have lives outside of work.
Recognizing A Leader’s
Blind Spot
There is a direct
correlation between recognition and results. Managers who do a poor job
recognizing their people have lower employee engagement, customer satisfaction,
retention and productivity. The bottom line, according to a recent Forbes article, is
that organizations pay a high price for keeping these managers in leadership
roles.
The problem is that all
too often, no one addresses poor communication or lack of recognition at
frontline and senior levels. It’s the elephant in the room as we fear conflict
or the wrath it may spark. The reality is we all have flaws: None of us is
perfect. Leaders need to know their weaknesses and receive training to overcome
their blind spots. They may be doing a lot of things well, but these omissions
are making them significantly less effective. Lack of recognition in the
workplace lowers morale and increases stress, which results in higher absenteeism,
more turnover and lower productivity. On the flip side, managers with higher
EQs are more likely to give feedback and recognize contributions, leading to
higher employee engagement, customer satisfaction, retention and
productivity. In the Forbes example, 71 of the 98 executives with low EQ
scores were tracked and showed significant improvement one year after being
told about their fatal flaws.
Show Managers 'WIIFM.'
Then Enable And Encourage.
Negative feedback is
tricky, but when delivered in a constructive way with encouragement, it will
lead to change. An important aspect of the change process that is often
overlooked is enabling and rewarding managers for progress on building
their relationship currency.
Great managers need to be
more than taskmasters – they need to be coaches who develop and motivate their
teams. Leaders need to address their managers’ engagement needs in the same way
managers are expected to address their employees’ needs – providing clear
expectations, training and education so managers are well-equipped to develop
rapport, coach and lead by example.
Companies are using
digital recognition tools to help managers connect with their people and
cultivate a culture of ongoing appreciation. Picture this: With a click of a
button, your managers (and employees) can:
• Publicly thank a team
for writing a winning proposal.
• Recognize behaviors
aligned with your values.
• Post a raving review
received from a customer.
• Nominate an employee
for going above and beyond.
• Recognize birthdays and
milestones.
• Reward staff for
meeting monthly targets.
Because these tools are
digital, they contain a wealth of valuable business intelligence. HR and
execs can see managers who are great (and not so great) at giving recognition
and compare this data to unit performance. They can encourage and reward managers
for recognizing others and analyze employee behaviors to identify the star
performers and those needing more attention or at risk of leaving.
Recognition is the most
powerful, yet surprisingly underutilized, tool in business. Have the tough
conversation, and then give your managers the tools to use this unlimited
resource to win friends, influence people and grow your business.
Credit: https://www.forbes.com/
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