Pat on the Back
When was the last time you deliberately celebrated an employee who did something good? How often do you consider how to celebrate things that are working? Do you consistently pat your employees on the back?
So often leaders miss opportunities to engage their employees by simply sharing the enjoyment of good work. Everyday countless tasks and goals are completed by employees without notice. Employees show up and work hard because they care. While it might feel as though your world is focused on everything that is going wrong, I guarantee you there is much more going right. Celebrating what is working doesn’t have to cost you anything, not even time.
There is one particular celebration that I will never forget. I was an individual contributor at the time and my project was to facilitate a live virtual interview with a senior executive for an audience of about 100 company leaders. To say I was nervous is an understatement. It felt like the perfect opportunity for a very public and high profile disaster. I had an initial meeting with the senior leader and although he was very nice and approachable, it was horribly awkward. The practice run felt stiff, dry and boring. This didn’t help my confidence in any way, I was even more apprehensive. The day of the live interview came and in the room was the senior executive, a technical person and me. My boss was down the hall, dialed in from his office. I was so nervous, but once we started the conversation flowed naturally and it was really fun! The best part was when we finished and walked out of the room. I looked down the hall and saw my boss coming toward me with a huge smile, his hand in the air ready for a high-five celebration. I'll never forget that celebration, the validation that it went well and the pure joy I felt in that moment.
There are two types of rewards: intrinsic and extrinsic. Extrinsic comes from outside the individual and intrinsic comes from within. Extrinsic rewards are typically financial - bonuses, raises, benefits. Intrinsic rewards are psychological and come from doing meaningful work and doing it well. In my example, rushing down the hall with a huge smile and high-five didn't cost my boss or the company anything and yet it meant so much to me and to my confidence. Even though this was something I dreaded and feared, I was ready to do again! This is the power of deliberately finding opportunities to intrinsically reward your employees.
Take the time to give your employees the ‘pat on the back’ they deserve. In return, it will provide you much more that it will ever cost you.
Leadership Coaching Tips:
The act of celebration, is in itself a coaching skill. It is the skill of honoring someone’s accomplishments. This can be done by verbally recognizing what someone has done or didn’t do. It can also be standing up for them when they have doubt or question their abilities. Here are two things to keep in mind:
Be Deliberate - consciously be on the lookout for opportunities to celebrate your employees and be intentional about following through.
Be Considerate - show careful thought as to the most appropriate celebration based on the individual. Consider if public or private, or written or verbal would be more impactful.
Championing is another coaching skill that you can use before a task or goal is completed. Championing is simply being a cheerleader and telling them you believe in their abilities - bring out the best in them.
Other Resources:
The Little Things That Make Employees Feel Appreciated
Are you ready to radically change your approach to work and life?
Take the Energy Leadership Index (ELI). The ELI is an attitudinal assessment tool that captures how an individual currently perceives and approaches work and life. With the awareness and insights gained through the Energy Leadership Index debrief, you have the opportunity to reshape your attitudes, worldview and “transform who you are.”
