As much as it makes sense to put this best practice for recognition to memory, it is not always possible to spontaneously put together the elements of powerful positive recognition. The result we want is to reinforce specific results and behaviors. Also, it may be difficult to meet the 80/20 rule of positive vs negative reinforcement. In both cases, a little preparation and planning can help.
Ask yourself, what specific results have you recently observed that are worthy of recognition. Think about the 5 Ws - Who, What, Where, When, Why...
Think of a way to present the results in a very tangible way. Think about the specific behavior that brought about the results that you want to reinforce.
Finally, make sure to understand why this result was personally important to you.
That's it. As owners, supervisors, leaders, and parents, these are all the tools needed to provide powerful positive reinforcement. It is important to make a conscious effort to use the tools daily until it becomes a part of your routine.
I would like to thank you for taking the time to read and learn this technique. Your work or home environment started to change for the better beginning with the first time you followed these steps for positive recognition. It is personally satisfying to me that you have learned and taken action on a best practice you picked up in this blog. Please continue to refine this skill and I'll be here with more tips for best practices.
Business Builder Bob
Bob Tetu
businessbuilderbob@gmail.com
Startup and Turnaround Specialist
Showing posts with label Recognition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Recognition. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Business Builder Bob - Recognition #3
For the third and fourth elements of recognition it is time to get personal...
The third element is to add your personal appreciation. Why were the results personally significant to you? Why does the behavior deserve your personal attention?
You may be a parent, a supervisor, a leader in your business. Publicly acknowledging your personal appreciation and the reason why this is important to you is the second powerful element of that is often omitted. Including this in your recognition is further reinforcement of the results and behaviors that are important to you personally.
The fourth element is a simple wrapup that an includes an offer of your own personal continued support and a final summary statement of recognition. So, not only are we providing recognition, we are also offering to personally support continued efforts to achieve the results and behaviors we want.
Try to put the four steps in your head. There are times when recognition can be planned ahead, but there are also times when it is more appropriate to provide it on the spot, spontaneously. In these cases, the four elements are still going to make your recognition more meaningful, so you'll have to remember the four parts.
Business Builder Bob
Bob Tetu
businessbuilderbob@gmail.com
Startup and Turnaround Specialist
The third element is to add your personal appreciation. Why were the results personally significant to you? Why does the behavior deserve your personal attention?
You may be a parent, a supervisor, a leader in your business. Publicly acknowledging your personal appreciation and the reason why this is important to you is the second powerful element of that is often omitted. Including this in your recognition is further reinforcement of the results and behaviors that are important to you personally.
The fourth element is a simple wrapup that an includes an offer of your own personal continued support and a final summary statement of recognition. So, not only are we providing recognition, we are also offering to personally support continued efforts to achieve the results and behaviors we want.
Try to put the four steps in your head. There are times when recognition can be planned ahead, but there are also times when it is more appropriate to provide it on the spot, spontaneously. In these cases, the four elements are still going to make your recognition more meaningful, so you'll have to remember the four parts.
Business Builder Bob
Bob Tetu
businessbuilderbob@gmail.com
Startup and Turnaround Specialist
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Business Builder Bob - Recognition #2
Here are the first two of four elements of a Best Practice for giving recognition:
First, give the recognition quickly. That is, give the recognition as close in time as you can to the activity or result you are recognizing. There is no rule about how soon, but the sooner the better. You want to provide the recognition while the acitivity is still fresh in your mind and the mind of the individual you are recognizing.
The second and third elements are omitted by many people and therefore, the recognition is not as powerful and meaningful as it can be. The second element is to be very specific about the result you are recognizing. The more specific you are, the more reinforcement you provide to continue the specific practice that achieved the result.
For example, you could say "Nice job yesterday Joe" or you could say "I want to recognize Sally's quick action during the small Hazmat spill we had yesterday. She was obviously familiar with company procedures because she reacted confidently and appropriately. She was able to contain the spill quickly and avoid a far more costly event."
This may not seem important, but it is. In the first case, Joe probably knows you are refering to the spill and will be happy to get the recognition. However, the way Sally was recognized specifically pointed out the results she achieved --saved money, contained the Hazmat event. Sally's recognition also reinforced for Sally and for anyone else who was present, the importance of knowing company Hazmat procedures.
So here's a little trick to put in your head. When you are providing recognition, instead of thinking 'I am recognizing a person', think 'I am recognizing results and reinforcing behavior'. This change in your mental picture of recognition will help you get the second element correct and make your recognition much more powerful.
First, give the recognition quickly. That is, give the recognition as close in time as you can to the activity or result you are recognizing. There is no rule about how soon, but the sooner the better. You want to provide the recognition while the acitivity is still fresh in your mind and the mind of the individual you are recognizing.
The second and third elements are omitted by many people and therefore, the recognition is not as powerful and meaningful as it can be. The second element is to be very specific about the result you are recognizing. The more specific you are, the more reinforcement you provide to continue the specific practice that achieved the result.
For example, you could say "Nice job yesterday Joe" or you could say "I want to recognize Sally's quick action during the small Hazmat spill we had yesterday. She was obviously familiar with company procedures because she reacted confidently and appropriately. She was able to contain the spill quickly and avoid a far more costly event."
This may not seem important, but it is. In the first case, Joe probably knows you are refering to the spill and will be happy to get the recognition. However, the way Sally was recognized specifically pointed out the results she achieved --saved money, contained the Hazmat event. Sally's recognition also reinforced for Sally and for anyone else who was present, the importance of knowing company Hazmat procedures.
So here's a little trick to put in your head. When you are providing recognition, instead of thinking 'I am recognizing a person', think 'I am recognizing results and reinforcing behavior'. This change in your mental picture of recognition will help you get the second element correct and make your recognition much more powerful.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Business Builder Bob - Recognition #1
Recognition and positive feedback are essentially the same thing and should be viewed as the most used tool in the toolbox of managers, supervisors and even parents. Before we discuss the most effective way to provide recognition, there is a quideline you must know and appreciate: 80% of all feedback MUST be positive feedback.
Why? It is human nature to shut down listening when getting negative feedback such as, "that's the wrong way to do it", "you handled that poorly", "don't do that again". These are examples of negative feedback and will most likely put the recipient on the defensive and cause them to stop listening to anything else you have to say.
On the other hand, positive feedback causes people to feel appreciated and they will be more receptive to any "corrective action" you may want to discuss. More about corrective action in future blogs.
As with managing change and with reliable processes, a little preparation helps and there are specific elements of recognition that make it more effective.
If you are so inclined, think about how often you use negative vs positive feedback. How much recognition are you passing out? Are you following the 80:20 quideline for positive vs negative feedback?
Business Builder Bob
Bob Tetu
businessbuilderbob@gmail.com
610-624-3395
Startup and Turnaround Specialist
Why? It is human nature to shut down listening when getting negative feedback such as, "that's the wrong way to do it", "you handled that poorly", "don't do that again". These are examples of negative feedback and will most likely put the recipient on the defensive and cause them to stop listening to anything else you have to say.
On the other hand, positive feedback causes people to feel appreciated and they will be more receptive to any "corrective action" you may want to discuss. More about corrective action in future blogs.
As with managing change and with reliable processes, a little preparation helps and there are specific elements of recognition that make it more effective.
If you are so inclined, think about how often you use negative vs positive feedback. How much recognition are you passing out? Are you following the 80:20 quideline for positive vs negative feedback?
Business Builder Bob
Bob Tetu
businessbuilderbob@gmail.com
610-624-3395
Startup and Turnaround Specialist
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