Make Waves: Don't Settle for Ripples! Subscribe to Marcia Zidle's e-newsletter with tips and tools on leading better, faster, smarter.
 
Do your leaders have the edge? Executive coaching is for high impact, high potential managers and professionals to turn them into effective leaders.Coaching 4 Results
Turn on the light bulbs at your next training, meeting or retreat. Marcia speaks on leading smart, ringing customer's bells and making teamwork work.Speaking 4 Impact
Strategic planning services to ensure your organization's future. Branding 4 Service
 
Winning Ways of Working leadership tools to create powerful leaders and powerful organizations. W. W. O. W.
Products
 
5 minute power bytes. Best practices in effective leadership, teamwork, customer service and for development.50+ Free Articles
Marcia Zidle gives interviews, quotes, or knowledge nuggets - short solid bursts of practical wisdom - on leadership.Media Corner
Career strategy services to revitalize, reposition or retool careers.Your Career
Leaders At All Levels and Marcia ZidleAbout Us
Contact Us - Leaders at All Levels and Marcia ZidleContact Us
WABC - The Worldwide Association of Business Coaches - Click here to open their site in a new window

 

  

How to Encourage Everyone to Do Their Best Work

Employee recognition for good performance is one of the simplest and easiest ways to encourage people to do their best work. It provides these three major benefits:

  • It lets people know that their performance is valued, and increases the likelihood that they will continue to perform well.
  • It builds confidence so that people are willing to try new things, and develop further in their jobs.
  • Finally it costs nothing and the payoff can be enormous --- highly motivated employees who go the extra mile for the customer.

Don't underestimate the need people have for recognition. Managers often forget that praising employees, telling someone they are doing a good job, brings a smile and good cheer to everyone from the shop floor to even the top floor. Here are four quick and easy ways to praise.

Direct Praise:
Give a subordinate a direct compliment for good performance. Example: "John, you did a great job of dealing with Mary this morning. She was being difficult, but you stayed very calm."

Earshot:
Tell someone else about a subordinate's performance so that he or she overhears you. Example: (Near Peter's office, so he overhears) "Dennis, why not ask Peter about budget revisions. He handles that kind of problem really well."

Third-Party Recognition:
Encourage someone else to offer recognition for good performance. Example: "Sheila, it was Tony who made sure we completed our agenda yesterday. Why don't you tell him how well he did?"

Formal Recognition:
Respond to good performance by doing something official. Example: Memos to other (colleagues, your manager, upper management, personnel file) or mention at a staff meeting or management meeting.

Giving direct praise is probably the most commonly used form of employee recognition. However, earshot, third-party, and formal recognition are also effective to encourage people to do their best work. Remember, most people feel they get too little recognition for what they do; very few feel over-recognized.

Leadership Matters! Do You Have It?

Powerful leaders lead powerful organizations! Make it happen for you. Take a look at these resources: Coaching 4 Results, Branding 4 Service, Speaking 4 Impact and W.O.W.W. Tools. Be a Force for the Future.

Make sure you sign up for Make Waves!, our free e-newsletter on how to lead better, faster and smarter. Bonus: 35 page ebook 101 Bite Size Leadership Tips with a BIG Impact!

Contact us to explore how Leaders at All Levels can work with you to be A Force for the Future!

Copyright 2006-2009, Marcia Zidle. Will you have a bright future? Are you ready to make your organization stand out in the crowd in competing for customers, clients, funders or community awareness? Contact us and let us show you how to make that happen. 

Would you like to reprint this article in your trade journal, newspaper, website, company newsletter or e-zine? See Note to Editors.