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A Bit of Perfume
Giving praise
By Bruna Martinuzzi
"To see things in the seed, that is genius",
said Lao-tzu, Chinese philosopher. This is what we now refer to as
Appreciative Intelligence, a term coined by Tojo Thatchenkery to
describe the capacity by certain individuals to see the positive
inherent potential of situations or people - it is the ability to
see a breakthrough product, top talent, or valuable solution of
the future that is not readily visible in the present situation.
In short, it is the ability to see the mighty oak in the acorn.
The term originated when the author began studying the explosive
entrepreneurial growth in Silicon Valley in the late 1990s.
According to the author, it is appreciative intelligence that
allowed, partly, for so many highly talented immigrants from
different countries to assemble in the area and flourish. As the
author puts it, venture capitalists looking to fund the right
ideas were asking the question, "How can I make this work?" as
opposed to "What are the chances this idea will fail?" They
created an environment of high anticipation of positive results
which became a contagious fever of opportunity, achievement,
resilience and possibility recognition. (Appreciative intelligence
is not to be confused with appreciative inquiry, which is an
approach and methodology for analyzing organizations).
Appreciative intelligence is a mental ability of individuals who
have a knack for reframing situations (the glass half full/half
empty) and a keen eye for spotting what's valuable and positive in
a situation or in people. And these individuals go one step
further: they are able to envision how the positive aspects can be
used to create a better future. Combining the two in an
organization, i.e. a leader with appreciative intelligence using
an appreciative inquiry approach, constitutes a powerful force
indeed for effecting positive change and inspiring others to give
the very best they have to offer. Imagine if all leaders in an
organization proactively and mindfully practiced appreciative
intelligence. Imagine the profound, healthy impact that this would
have on an organization's culture.
Such a culture would fuel employees' motivation. Surveys of what
employees want consistently rank "appreciation for work well done"
high up on the motivation index - well above "good wages".
Ironically, managers often place good wages above appreciation in
their responses of what employees want. Other surveys show that
one of the reasons employees leave companies is because of lack of
praise and recognition. Leaders often talk of the challenge of
building trust in their organization. Adele B. Lynn's study on
trust in the workplace shows that 54% of those polled would work
for less remuneration if the following trust building factors were
present:
-
Importance: giving people a sense of importance about who they
are and about their role in the organization;
- Touch: feeling that the leader genuinely cares about them,
feeling a connection with the leader;
- Gratitude: being appreciated for their contributions and
sacrifices; receiving genuine gratitude;
- Fairness: knowing that leaders ensure equal and fair
distribution of rewards.
Recognition and praise are indeed high octane fuel for the soul.
When we receive a genuine compliment, we experience an inner glow
- it's a warm, magical feeling that makes us break into a smile.
It makes us want to go the extra mile for the person who bestowed
the sincere compliment. If this were not important to us, we would
not be treasuring all of the mementos of awards, plaques,
appreciative notes and emails, and other tokens of appreciation
that we receive over the years.
But intuitively, we all know that genuine appreciation is a key
factor in our relationship with our constituents, and any basic
management course will touch on the value of praising employees
for their contributions. Yet many well-meaning and otherwise
caring leaders are reluctant to express their appreciation of
others' talents and contributions.
Many years ago, I worked for a great leader, one who genuinely
cared for his constituents, and who confided in me one day that he
found expressing praise a very difficult thing to do - publicly
and even harder, privately. I asked him why that is. He said, "I
grew up in a household where praising was not something we did."
There is a profound implication in this statement. Our families
are our first corporations - that's where we learned many of our
behaviors, and it is often difficult to break these ingrained
patterns. Withholding praise, however, is a pattern of behavior
that we need to unlearn if we want to bring the best out in
people. We need to get over the embarrassment that grips some of
us when we have to praise an individual.
Here are some pointers for practicing this important skill:
-
If you have difficulty praising others, analyze the root causes
of this. If it is a fear of embarrassing others, know that even
the most introverted individuals who shun public praise enjoy
reading an email to all staff about their contributions. If it is
a discomfort at not knowing how to do it, read the few simple
rules below and consider working with a coach for one or two
sessions on this most important aspect of a leader's communication
repertoire. Self-awareness precedes self-management.
- Sometimes, withholding praise is simply due to a lack of time
for leaders who are required to handle an ever increasing number
of issues during the course of a harried day. If this is your
challenge, I encourage you to reframe how you view this particular
issue. Showing your people you care about them needs to move up on
the list of items in your "to do" list. It takes less than 10
seconds to say, "I appreciate the time and thought you put into
this report. It is exceptional. Thank you."
- Praise has a limited "best before" date. Don't delay its
expression or wait until performance review time - when you see
something that is worthy of praising, do so promptly after the
event.
- Make your genuine words memorable for your constituents by
being specific about the achievement. Not many of us remember the
perfunctory "job well done", but we all would remember someone who
tells us "This was pure genius," or "I would have missed this if
you hadn't picked it up." The praise does not have to be
elaborate. It just needs to be genuine.
- When you drop by an employee's office or cubicle to deliver the
praise, don't follow that with a conversation about business
matters or other projects. Deliver the praise and leave. Come back
later for discussions on other matters. This gives the praise its
moment of honor and heightens its value in the eyes of the
recipient.
- A primer for rewarding and recognizing others is Jim Kouzes'
and Barry Posner's Encouraging the Heart: A Leader's Guide to
Rewarding and Recognizing Others. The book provides 150 ways to
encourage the heart. Another useful book is Steven Kerr's Ultimate
Rewards: What Really Motivates People to Achieve (Harvard Business
Review Book Series). The book outlines many different sources of
motivation including accountability, responsibility,
organizational culture, coaching, teamwork, incentives and goal
setting.
- Finally, how can you apply the dynamic concept of appreciative
intelligence on yourself? What are your talents? Practicing
appreciating our talents and gifts opens us up to appreciating
others' greatness.
Perhaps the ultimate appreciation is letting people know that
their work - no matter how far removed they are from the top of
the pyramid - is important to the organization. It's about making
everyone feel like an owner and helping them understand how their
work contributes to the overall purpose of the company. It's about
practicing seeing more people. Excellence involves everyone.
There is another lovely Chinese quote that says, "A bit of perfume
always clings to the hand that gives roses." As leaders, when we
make people feel great about themselves, paradoxically we elevate
ourselves to greatness as well.
Copyright © 2006 Bruna Martinuzzi. All Rights Reserved.
Based in British Columbia, Bruna is the President and Founder of
Clarion Enterprises Ltd, a company which specializes in emotional
intelligence and leadership training. Click
here to contact her.
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