Chloe’s Chronicles:Views from the Management Muse
This month Chloe is working on her acknowledgement skills. She has mastered the part about acknowledging frequently; virtually no one or no thing is ignored or taken for granted. She let’s everyone—human or animal—know that they have entered her universe. Chloe is still working on the “art” part of acknowledgement, the part about recognizing what kind of acknowledgement fits best for each person (or canine, bird, cat, squirrel or duck). She reacts on the basis of her interpretation of how welcome they are in her world and fails to consider how the other party might want to be acknowledged. Her one-size-fits-all acknowledgement behavior reminds me of some managers and leaders who use only one form of acknowledgement for anyone and everyone in their world. Often these leaders assume that everyone else wants to be recognized in exactly the same way they appreciate. Like the leader who thinks everyone wants to be applauded by the whole company because s/he loves the spotlight; or, the person who says, “Everyone likes a gift certificate to my favorite restaurant.” Somehow, it seems fair and equitable to treat everyone exactly the same, even though any generic acknowledgement will fail to be meaningful to most everyone. When acknowledgement is specific, tailored to the individual and authentic, it serves to both establish expectation and increase motivation. For example, “Thanks for helping Mrs. Jones with her complaint today. I saw how patient you were with her.” Compare that statement to the more generic, “Great job today—thanks.” How are you acknowledging others and letting them know why you expect and how they can help the company? Help Chloe improve her acknowledgement skills! Click on comments and offer your thoughts, ideas and opinions. She’s beginning to think you don’t love her because she hasn’t heard from you.
Comments