My girlfriend is a kindergarten teacher in a local charter school. Several years ago she was really having trouble with one little guy. So in early October she pulled him aside and said, “Buddy, I need your help. You are the smartest kid in this class, and I need you to help me show the other kids how to behave. I need you to be my biggest helper because you can be!”
And do you know, his behavior problems “magically” disappeared, and she ended up having a great year…with the whole class. You see, she had the same conversation with each student, and they all rose to her vision and expectations for them. In the business world, we call this using Praise, Rewards and Recognition to develop your people. At home, I call it helping myself stay sane. Do you realize people respond to your expectations? In study after study, scientists have observed the power of positive expectations. So whether you need this technique at home or work or both, let’s take a look at how you can bring out the best with positive expectations.
Praise: Look for positives and respond. Once, while I was doing a training in Arkansas, a supervisor from the Little Debbie factory raised her hand and said, “My workers are working hard at a difficult and repetitive job on an assembly line. I always like to catch ’em doing something right!” You can bet she had motivated and empowered workers.
In order to come across as authentic with your praise, makes sure it is both sincere and specific. People believe you are sincere with your praise when you are specific. For example, if you tell your employee, “I really appreciate you. I know you’ve put in a lot of extra time on this project and I appreciate it. Thank you for your hard work and your attention to detail.” Your employee will be energized and motivated to do even more. And I must add, with certain employees, a letter spelling out this praise will be most highly valued of all.
We know people work harder for praises than raises. Most importantly though, they will know you sincerely appreciate them…you told them so with Praise.
Recognition and Rewards: Create an environment for people to look good! When you walk in the door of the Arbonne International headquarters, almost the first thing you see is a huge wall filled with pictures of top achievers in the company. These achievers are recognized for their accomplishments.
Focus positive attention on the quality of work and keep it there. My 5th grade daughter is intensely focused on getting all her homework finished on time, and finished perfectly so she can participate in her teachers’ “Friday Rewards”. And the even bigger goal is the “Perfect week, Perfect month” reward. And on top of that, each test holds the potential of receiving a “Big Cookie” for a 98% or higher on the test. Her teacher has tapped into the power of recognition and rewards for her 4th and 5th graders.
There are all kinds of way you can incorporate Praise, Recognition and Rewards into your communication life. If you’re short on ideas, I recommend a book called The Carrot Principle: How the Best Managers Use Recognition to Engage Their People, Retain Talent, and Accelerate Performance
This is a perfect time to re-commit to the power of positive. Love the people in your life this way. They will thank you and both morale and satisfaction will soar. And a brand new resource to help you stay positive is Crystal Paine’s (Money Saving Mom) Choose Gratitude: Blessings Journal
This is Day 8 of 31 Days of Powerful Communication Skills for Women. You can read all of my #31Days posts here. And check out The Nester’s #Write31Days blog for other great 31 day series.
Question: Do you find it easy to focus on the positive this way? What are some good ways you have given praise, recognition and rewards?
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