For this column I decided not to focus on one individual doing something special but on the concept of how sharing the good stuff can trickle down to every member of your team or company.
According to David Novak, co-founder of YUM! BRANDS and author of the book O Great One! “… if you give people the recognition they’ve earned, if you show genuine appreciation and acknowledge the unique things people have to offer, then you will drive real results.”
Novak challenges us to consider how we show employees the value they provide in the roles they play in our organizations and companies. He feels acknowledging good behavior and offering various ways to “recognize” helps lift the spirit and creates momentum to continue to excel.
To gain a wider industry perspective on this topic I reached out to a number of professionals to ask them to share their insight and wisdom. For example, Hillary Feder from Ask Hillary’s believes employee recognition can include everything from:
• A pat on the back/verbal recognition (privately or in a public setting)
• Written recognition through email
• Written recognition through a handwritten note
• A tangible product (a traditional “award” or a gift selected based on their personal interests)
As I read Novak’s parable about the Happy Face Toy Company and its new CEO Jeff Johnson, it became clear to me that his message was to support, encourage and empower management to make sure no employee ever felt invisible or taken for granted. I’m fortunate in my career to have only worked for one company where the entire staff felt they had no power or influence. Some days I wondered should I even bother to go to work. Would anyone even notice?
Since I’ve always been an employee who enjoyed being part of a team, I quickly shifted gears and moved on. Sadly, I feel that organization missed out on benefiting from contributions I could have made. Surely you can relate. However, we all have the responsibility of keeping our teams engaged and for showing our clients how promotional solutions can play an integral part of any recognition program.
Moving back to the featured book, our storyteller shows us how a simple gesture from Jeff Johnson’s grandson, Nick, changed his attitude as to why the Happy Face Toy Company was losing ground and failing. An OGO (O Great One) jar filled with colored construction paper strips was his birthday present. Nick calls Jeff OGO and wanted to tell his grandfather why he was indeed “great.” Each strip had a personal note proclaiming “You are great because…”
Jeff was blown away how this simple gift carried so much depth and meaning and decided to share the concept with his team at Happy Face. Caught up in accounting nightmares, sales challenges and plant closings, most of the team members were lukewarm about the concept of recognizing employees as the catalyst to transform the company from distressed to success.
However, many professionals truly rely on employee recognition. Bonnie Bletran of Geiger believes, “Praise and recognition are essential elements to a positive and productive work environment. Individuals and teams need to be recognized for achieving internal goals and keeping motivation running high. Appreciation for a job well done can give such a great feeling of achievement. When people feel recognized and are rewarded for their efforts, they have a stronger, more positive feeling about the company and their work in general. I would imagine that these feelings could also have an impact on retention, moral and greater teamwork within an organization. It really is a form of mutual respect from company to employee.”
Why are people resistant to recognizing others for their contributions? Is it that we get mired in our details and work that we simply don’t make the time to thank those around us? Successful business leaders take the focus from me to we, but the way it’s done without appearing to be insincere or trivial is the key.
Throughout O Great One! Novak gathers the concept of healthy recognition in his Guiding Principles for Inspiring OGOs. For example, Principle 7 is “Make it Personal.” Eric Ekstrand from HALO understands what it takes to make it personal and suggests anything from a verbal “nice job”, handshake or pat on the back to an extra casual or vacation day can provide additional motivation.
When recognition becomes a more formal and integral aspect of the corporate culture, then Hillary wants us to remember three points. First, acknowledge and recognize what the person did. Second, illustrate how it helped (you, the department, and the company). Finally third, state why it was important and how it will further impact the organization.
Just as CEO Jeff decided to change the culture of Happy Face and realized that the employees are the most important part of the equation, Bobby Lehew from Robyn Promotions strives for “a healthy ecosystem.” Bobby goes on to illustrate that corporate culture is “simply the colleague sitting next to you.” Recognition starts with realizing your interdependence. Maintaining “a gracious posture” and showing genuine gratitude will have lasting results.
Author Novak’s Guiding Principles may seem obvious, but many overlook the fact that the simple gesture of genuine appreciation does produce a healthier and more functioning infrastructure.
The 10 Guiding Principles for Inspiring OGOs (O Great Ones) include:
1) People won’t care about you if you don’t care about them.
2) The best way to show people you care is to listen to them.
3) A great idea can come from anywhere.
4) Recognize great work and great ideas whenever and wherever you see them.
5) Make recognition a catalyst for results.
6) Make it fun.
7) Make it personal.
8) Recognition is universal.
9) Giving recognition is a privilege.
10) Say thank you every chance you get.
Recognizing others makes us feel good and directly impacts employee engagement. Danny Sirmon from Zebra Marketing believes “Making others aware of a person’s accomplishments motivates the recipient and their peers to excel as well and be proud of what they do and the company they do it for. Recognition should start at Hi, then end at Bye!”
At the recent Women’s Leadership Conference, Mary Dobsch received the PPAI Woman of Achievement Award. I watched Mary, and the attendees, as she received accolades and congratulations from her former partner and her peers. Hearing Mary’s story was so inspiring that many tears of joy were shed. I believe this annual award helps all women to make a difference. For Mary, no doubt it will be a cherished reminder of what’s transpired and what more life and career have to offer.
So think about all of the OGOs that you count on every day to help your business succeed and make sure they understand that they are appreciated as an O Great One.
Roni S. Wright, MAS, vice president of supplier The Book Company, is a 30-year veteran of the promotional products industry. In her volunteer and leadership roles, Roni has served on the boards of PPAI, PPEF, the Regional Association Council (RAC), PPAF and YESAA. Roni shares her busy industry life with husband, Chris, and daughter, Devon. They inspire and encourage her to “be all that she can be.” Over the past few years Roni has found a love of yoga. She’s achieved her 200-hour certification and has journeyed to India to study at the renowned K. Pattabhi Jois Institute. Contact Roni at roni@thebookco.com