Giving Thanks for Your Employees

Thanksgiving is the perfect time to talk about gratitude.  Rewarding employees and showing recognition is a great way to boost morale and motivate people.  We all want to be acknowledged for our contributions, and it is easy to do but it is absolutely amazing that so few managers are comfortable with the concept of saying thanks.

Look at organizational websites you’ll frequently read “we value our outstanding employees” or “people are our most important asset”.  However, a lot of managers just don’t recognize and/or reward good performance.

The most cost-effective reward and the most valued for nearly everyone is a simple “thank you” for a specific job or for completing a project or for going above and beyond.  “It sounds like such a no-brainer, but you would be amazed at how few mangers use those two simple but powerful words.

In addition to saying thanks, many organizations that understand the value of rewards and recognition programs, take the time to ask their employees what would be the most meaningful to them.  There is not a “one size fits all” recognition program. If you want to do it right, consider starting with a survey or focus groups to ask your employees what would be motivational to them.  Remember that any program you consider will reinforce your organization’s values.  Also, consider how and when you provide recognition—some people don‘t want to be publically thanked so be sure to thank them privately.

There are lots of ways to recognize and reward that are no or low-cost.  Consider:

·      Sending a hand written thank you note

·      Acknowledgement at an all-hands meeting

·      Assignment to a highly visible task force

·      Recognition in the employee newsletter

·      Company logo’d merchandise

·      Reserved parking place

·      Day off with pay

·      Lunch with CEO

·      Lunch for the team

·      Flowers, balloons, plant delivered to office

The Thanksgiving season is a perfect time to re-evaluate your rewards and recognition programs or to decide to start to formally recognize your great employees.  Remember that rewards and recognition can also impact your employee retention which can have significant impact on your bottom line!  Are you thankful for your employees, let them know and do it today!

For more information on rewards and recognition, see chapter 16 of The Big Book of HR.

At The Ballet

The ballet season is about to begin at the Kennedy Center.  The marvel of the ballet is that dancers are telling stories through music and motion. Not a word is spoken. With precision and movement the drama unfolds.  We attended a breathtaking performance of the Bolshoi Ballet several years ago -- The Sleeping Beauty.  We were certain that we didn't take a breath for the first half of the performance.  It was captivating. 

Through my practice of yoga, I've developed a great appreciation for ballet dancers.  Their art takes skill and practice and focus.  I know that yoga poses, especially poses involving balancing on one foot, take practice and focus.  I often have difficulty balancing in class when my instructor talks us through the tree pose.  I have to tune out the sound of her voice, detach mentally from the room, look inward, and focus on my balance.  I'm alone in my own space.  I am focused.  I imagine that is how a ballerina performs -- in a focused, inward state in her own space.

Finding balance is a challenge.  Consider Marissa Mayer's decision to end telecommuting at Yahoo!  It caused a great amount of discussion.  One of her justifications for her decision is that the employees needed to be together in the office in order to collaborate with each other.  She has a very valid point.  Interaction stirs creativity.   It's one of reasons Barbara and I meet weekly -- to stir new ideas and get reality checks on old ones.

On the other hand is the point of view that once a new idea is formed, a new product, program, whatever, employees need quite time to develop or implement the idea.  They need time and their own space to focus and produce results.  If they are in an environment where a great deal of activity is taking place, they may struggle with focus, the same way I struggle with my tree pose in class.  There need to be balance -- time to collaborate and create -- and time to focus and produce. 

Finding balance in modern life is critical and challenging.  We live in such a plugged-in world.  We are always connected, always doing.  We need to take time to just be.  Several years ago heard David Ulrich talk about leadership and good leaders.  He talked about a particular "leader" who held a responsible job with a large company.  This individual bragged about the long hours he worked.  He wore 24/7 as a badge of honor.  Ulrich's point was: it isn't.  He observed the individual slowly losing effectiveness in his role and in his organization.  He lacked balance.

As a leader, consider:

•       What will you do to find balance in your life? 

•       What will you do to assure there is balance in the lives of your colleagues?

•       What will you do to assure there is balance in the lives of the employees?

•       Will you recognize burnout in yourself and others?

•       How will you address it?

•       How will you assure that the organization's culture honors balance?

Celebrating Veterans

A temporary cessation of hostilities, or armistice, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect at 11:00 AM on November 11, 1918 -- the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.  This is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.”

Armistice Day, established the following year by President Wilson, was primarily a day set aside to honor veterans of World War I.  In 1921, an unknown World War I American soldier was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.   After World War II and the Korean War the word "Veterans" replace the word "Armistice.”  November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.

Ceremonies commemorating Veterans Day occur each year at 11:00 AM on November 11 at the memorial amphitheater built around the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington Cemetery when the presidential wreath is laid upon the tomb.

Last Veterans Day my husband, Carl, and I went to the ceremonies at "The Wall" in Washington DC.  The Wall is the memorial honoring those who gave their lives during the Vietnam conflict.  Carl is a Vietnam Veteran who served in the Marine Corp's air wing.  He met and talked with fellow Marines who also served in the 1st Marine Air Wing in Okinawa and Vietnam during that conflict.  There are ties that bind them.

The following month, my friend Debbie from California contacted me.  Her father, a veteran, had passed away and his military funeral was being held at Arlington National Cemetery.  Would we like to come?  This was a family with a rich military history.  Her grandfather rode with Teddy Roosevelt in the Battle of San Juan.  Her family, the Englands, is one of only two who have a plot at Arlington.  It was an honor to be a part of the celebration of her father's life.

During a plane trip home from Albuquerque, NM, my husband was sitting across the aisle from me, next to a man, Robert, who served in the Marines around the same time Carl did.  He was stationed on the same base in DaNang with the First Battalion that Carl was stationed on when he was in Vietnam.  Carl's time was split between Okinawa and Vietnam.  They talked for the entire flight -- attracting the attention of a young man in the row behind them who aspires to be a Marine.  There are ties that bind them.

Since Robert lives in Albuquerque, I asked him about the Navajo Code Talkers, who fought during World War II.  During a visit to the Balloon Fiesta there in 2006 we met the Code Talkers in Albuquerque’s Old Town.  They were selling and autographing copies of their book.  We spoke with the grandson of one who was trying to capture as many of their stories and history while they were still alive.  As my husband asked each to sign the book we bought, he shook each hand, thanked them for their service, and said Semper Fi.  I was struck by the contrast between him and them.  Carl was from a different part of the country, with a different background, a different generation and fought in a different war.  Yet, there were ties that bound them.  Robert told us there was only one of the Navajo Code Talkers still living.

Each Veterans Day should be a time when Americans stop and remember the brave men and women who have risked their lives for the United States of America.   Today we have Veterans from new wars and conflicts.  It's important to honor them and help them with their transition back into civilian life.

Leaning In—Why all the Hype?

Oh how I wish I’d read Leaning In when I started my business career!  I absolutely loved this book and the concepts it covered.  I think it should be required reading for anyone interested in a career in business—men as well as women!  Actually, the concept of leaning in doesn’t just apply to a business situation but can be used wherever you are in life!  Sheryl Sandberg has given a new generation of women real encouragement to seriously pursue their career aspirations!

As an author, I am fascinated by all the hype around this book. Not many authors have a segment on 60 Minutes, interviews on all the morning shows, an appearance on “Katie” and so much more to launch a new book.  Doesn’t hurt that this author is COO of Facebook but, in this case, the hype didn’t oversell the book!  Ms. Sandberg has touched on a topic that we were ready to hear!

I have been guilty of “leaning back” when I should have been “leaning in”.  I started my business career in the 70’s at a time when I was almost always the only woman in meetings or at conferences in my field.  Now the HR field is very heavily populated by women except for some of the top positions in organizations!  It wasn’t easy to always have to fight for a promotion. I remember one in my early career with a major retail firm where my boss got promoted and I indicated I wanted to be considered for the position.  I had been working in that department for over two years doing excellent work according to my performance reviews and feedback. When I threw my hat in the ring for the position, the VP said, “Oh, we never thought of you—do you really want to be a ‘career girl’”?  I was stunned and said that I thought that my commitment to the job and the company should have been obvious. I didn’t get the job—they promoted a man and asked me to train him!

Why that story is significant is that, looking back on it, I don’t think I had been “”leaning in”.  I would do it differently today.  I would be sure that my accomplishments were noted and I would have been much more vocal about asking for assignments and projects to enhance my skill set.  I think women today are much more likely to speak up than I ever was!  I hope so but I am aware that there are many women, especially in my chosen professional of human resources, who think that their good work will be recognized without them calling attention to it—wish that were true but we must get better at letting everyone know our value!

I especially enjoyed the discussion on the book on mentoring. I am a firm believer in helping those who are following us along our chosen path.  There are few things as satisfying in business than helping someone navigate the minefields ahead of them!

So, if you haven’t read Leaning In yet, I highly recommend you do so as soon as possible.  If you have a teenage daughter, I think this book would be a great gift to encourage her to learn how important it is to be fully engaged and prepared for what is ahead!