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Catch People Doing Something Right – Too many managers spend too much time catching people doing something wrong. Of course you have to address problems and correct failures but there needs to be a balance of positive and negative coming at someone for them to be or remain energized. I suggest using three levels of positive feedback to raise esteem or energy, each used based on timing, degree of right actions to be reinforced, and the individual’s personality.
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Praise – this is short, positive and general. “Good Job!” “Nice Going!” “Well Done!” People feel good (energized) in receiving these words of praise.
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Acknowledgment – this is positive feedback telling your team member what specific behaviors were done well. “Rachel, you ran that meeting well. Your time management was superb. You engaged everyone in attendance and gave them positive feedback after each of their comments. And I also know that you ran through each item on the agenda quite thoroughly and effectively.” Acknowledging encourages doing these same things effectively again.
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Appreciation – this attends to the inner qualities or character traits that were exhibited when doing the activities mentioned in “acknowledgment”. “Rachel, you truly seemed to care when people spoke up. You were attentive to time, receptive to new ideas, and found ways of balancing people’s interest on the subjects with knowing that you had lots of business to cover.”
Using all three when appropriate is another set of tools to bring positivity to people. Humans are energized when treated this way, especially on a regular basis.
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Play – We can get so darned serious at work and lose sight of enjoying ourselves. The fact that 83% of people surveyed don’t want to go to work on Monday mornings is a clear indicator of the mess we’ve gotten ourselves into. An unhappy work force is an un-energized workforce. Lightening up encourages greater energy. There are innumerable ways to have some fun thrown into the needs of a business day. Pot luck lunches, trivia contests, family photo boards, weekend group picnics, joke-of-the day and on and on. Get creative and see what works. More enjoyment translates to more energy.
We are all creatures of energy. That is simply biologically true. It makes every business sense to step back, assess your team’s level of interest, and find practical and creative ways to tap into the inner spark in yourself and your team. You can light the way!
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