Have you ever wondered how working in an organisation is similar to an interpersonal relationship? Some say we are ‘married’ to the organisation. Certain key qualities of an employer-employee relationship such as caring, loyalty, trust, team-working, participative decision making and situational leadership are also very much relevant to our personal associations. And whatever the relationship, it is clear that we want to be appreciated for what we put into it.
Appreciation is a thankful recognition. It fosters positive relationships and builds on the strengths of a person, place or situation. In order to maintain a healthy union, we need to make appreciation more regular and constant, rather than limiting it to the annual award ceremonies or Valentines’ days. In my experience, it is not uncommon to hear ‘I am being taken for granted’ in both relationship counselling and employee counselling. In organizations, as in relationships, we initially show our appreciation to the new recruits and eventually, as the honeymoon period fades off, so does our appreciation. As the drudgery of day to day work sets in, some of us notice our employees only when the work is not on par with our expectations. And then, we talk about a de-motivated work force.
If the employees continue to feel undervalued, they would usually show their disappointment in three different ways. First, some employees would directly complain to the management about their dissatisfaction. In this case, hopefully the management would attend to the complaint, see what could be done and take the right precautions for the future.
Secondly, some may acquire robotic work styles. Commitment now turning to compliance, employee motivation will drastically decline. Some employees may feel that they have no voice within the organisation. Some may feel complaining would culminate in low scores in their annual appraisals, being penalised for promotions or being made redundant. The more an organisation is dominated by bureaucracy or tyranny of autocratic leaders, the more the employees will feel helpless; hence resorting to a transactional deal: ‘I do my work; you pay my salary’.
Thirdly, organisation would lose their ace performers if their talent is not harnessed by appreciation. We may have come across individuals who in their exit interviews or amongst the team, claim ‘Oh! It’s too late. They should have thought about it before’. This often harms the organisation’s image both in terms of its values and culture, and in terms of its management style.
Once I had a colleague who would send an e-card to his team appreciating the input and time. Somewhat quiet with peculiar mannerisms, he knew how most of the staff was frightened of his abruptness when achieving the targets. At the beginning no one stepped into his room, even though the door was always open. Then one day his team found his door closed and on the door was ‘If you don’t believe in the open-door policy, try the emailing policy. Email me and let me know how you are coping’. Furthermore, he had an idea-box next to his room and encouraged people to drop in their requests and complains, and also asked them to inform him of their personal problems when they needed help. Later when I casually enquired about how he managed to stay in people’s good books despite his aggressive task-oriented style of management, he said that he had to compensate for his natural unapproachable appearance by letting his team know that he cared.
Research reveals that positive reinforcement, such as appreciation, is one of the most effective managerial tools in leading, mentoring and coaching. However, it is also one of the most underutilized tools. Coupled with feedback, appreciation is a powerful technique for improving productivity levels. Seated on a much wider concept called ‘positive psychology’, which aims to enhance the overall quality of life, ‘appreciative inquiry’ claims that an organization that tries to appreciate what is best in itself, would discover more and more of what is great; i.e. its potential for growth and strength of its people.
How can we recognize and let our employees know that behind the success of the organization is their effort and contribution? Feedback about a job done well informs us that our efforts had not been in vain. With feedback comes a sense of pride and significance, thereby boosting our confidence and motivation. This creates an essential psychological state for performance; it creates a sense of meaningfulness and responsibility in what we do.
Appreciation does not necessarily involve promotions, increments and training opportunities. A smile, a nod, a couple of miracle words such as ‘thank you’, ‘good job’ or ‘great work’, can transform the way our teams see us. Some say that in the long run, companies preserve their greatest asset, ‘people’, not much by compensation, but by appreciation.
Behind most motivational problems within organizations, is the issue of lack of appreciation. A word or a gesture to show how grateful we are, may seem too straightforward to be a management strategy. However, do you not think that it is one of the easiest and most cost-effective approaches for keeping our teams happy; hence keeping them motivated and productive?
With or without our knowledge, genuine appreciation gives birth to inspiration. When you acknowledge others’ strengths, we inspire them. When we focus on what is positive, we inspire ourselves. At the end of the day, it is a win-win situation.
(The writer is the CEO of Forte, a Sri Lankan firm that specializes in business psychology. Any comments on her column could be sent to: rozaine@forte.lk). |
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