The Dirty Dozen

Despite the overwhelming evidence that recognition creates more productive, profitable teams, we meet managers weekly who have a bevy of excuses for why recognition won’t work for them. They believe they don’t have time to recognize, or they are afraid of creating favorites on their teams, or it’s simply too daunting to begin.

In “A Carrot a Day,” we dispel 12 of the most frequent myths of recognition we hear from managers. In this column, let’s briefly address just three myths, beginning with a common phobia to recognition: That too much will spoil employees.

“It’ll lose meaning if I recognize too much.”
Yeah, and if you cross your eyes too long, they’ll stay that way. When was the last time anyone at work said, “Man, this place gives too much recognition! It’s really killing my productivity.” Our guess is, let’s see … NEVER!

Recognition never gets old if it is done right—which means it’s timely, frequent and specific. Does anyone ever tire of a boss saying you matter and you add value? So don’t worry; just keep doing it.

“I don’t have the time.”
What did your mother always tell you? You make time to do the things that are important. If you want to inspire your team and show real appreciation, you will find the time. It doesn’t take long. the effective motivators we’ve met rarely spend more than an hour or two a week recognizing their people, but the results are remarkable. After all, how much time do you need to write a thank-you note, present a formal award or say “thanks!” in a specific manner?

Ed Zobeck, vice president of the 6,000-person Auto Club Group, has become a believer in what he calls the “Power of the Thank You.” When we met Ed a few years ago, we left him with a thank-you “checkbook” out of one of our manager’s recognition toolkits. Explains Ed, “I went back to my office and was reading through some really good work that one of our lawyers had done for me on a particularly vexing issue. I jotted out a quick thank you check to him and dropped it in the interoffice mail.” The result? The lawyer was nearly in tears when he read the note of specific thanks.

“Culturally we had gotten away from the simple ‘Power of the Thank You’ that is timely and specific,” said Ed. “So, I make it a point whenever I can to stop myself and stop whomever it is I want to thank, look them in the eye, and thank them very specifically for what they've done. Better yet, if they're with a group of people I try to do it with others around. We call it a staff huddle.”

“My people get recognition every two weeks in their paychecks.”
While you’re correct that money is why we show up for work each day, cash doesn’t create passion, quality or innovation once we are there. We need money, but we crave recognition. In fact, research shows the keys to employee engagement are recognition and involvement. Said Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman in their book “First, Break All the Rules,” “If you are paying twenty percent below the market average, then you may have difficulty attracting people. But bringing your pay and benefits package up to market levels, while a sensible first step, will not take you very far. These kinds of issues are like tickets to the ball-park—they can get you into the game, but they can’t help you win.”

The good news is this: The great leaders we meet with have learned to rise above their collective phobias and are building Carrot Cultures—places where people come, stay and contribute because they feel valued and appreciated. Some of these effective managers acknowledge that it isn’t always easy to recognize; others admit they have made mistakes along the way. But the best managers stick with it. And because of that persistence, they have seen real business results.

Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton are the acclaimed authors of the Wall Street Journal and BusinessWeek best seller “A Carrot A Day.” Their new book, “The Invisible Employee,” can be ordered on amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com today. To learn more go to carrots.com.