Engaging & Retaining the Younger Generation

In October of 2004, after finishing a teambuilding event with a client in Inner Mongolia, I was walking the hot and dusty streets of a city called Yinchuan before my flight back to Shanghai. Unexpectedly, a little girl excitedly engaged me in conversation, and I sat right on the ground to chat with her a while. It was a wonderful dialogue about places around the world, and just before leaving I asked if she would ever want to go see some of these places we talked about. Without any hesitation she simply asked, “Why would I want to go anywhere else when I’m so happy right here?”

In Chinese, the word “happiness” is made up of the two characters “open” and “heart.” Interestingly, much like their peers in the West, the younger generation in China is blowing the doors wide open in their own search for the “open heart” elixir. What does this mean for employers in their search for talent? Much the same as it is in other countries. People want to know that what they do matters, that there is meaning in their work, and purpose in their lives.

Unfortunately, many employers in China are mistakenly under the impression that highest dollar always wins. Admittedly, retaining a well educated employee in China is no easy task. Many people have done extremely well by gaining experience and training in one place and then jumping to the next job while doubling their wages with each move. Still, while the cost of labor has skyrocketed, command-and-control leaders dominate the work environment without a clear understanding of why people are leaving.

The truth: It isn’t always about the money. In fact, more often than not, it is about the way we treat, engage, and lift people at work. If we know that they are seeking happiness, how can we help them find it at work?

Consider the following questions:

1. Are you honestly concerned about the success of those around you? The moment you are sincerely interested in helping them be more successful, they will be more interested in your success as well. Real Leaders are proud when others succeed, while ego-driven managers fear they will lose status.

2. Do you recognize and appreciate great performances regularly? If you are waiting for the holiday party before saying something nice to people you have missed the point. Real Leaders express appreciation regularly and they know that people are working hard so they recognize them accordingly.

3. Does the cost of recognition programs prevent you from doing more? How much does turnover cost? What is the cost of disengagement? Most importantly, consider the return on investment as trust improves, people spend more time doing their work instead of watching their backs, and productivity increases as people begin to care more about the quality of their work.

The bottom line is this: People are no longer satisfied waiting until retirement before they find happiness. They aren’t afraid of honest work either. They simply want to work at a place where they can open their hearts and fully engage. You see, for many of this younger generation, happiness is no longer a fairy tale destination in a far away land. Indeed, like I learned on the hot and dusty streets of Yinchuan, happiness is what keeps us right here.

The question isn't whether recognition and appreciation work -- they do.

The research, statistics, analysis, reports, and case studies demonstrate over and over again that recognition and appreciation play a huge role in creating a great work place. Despite this, many recognition programs still fall flat. Why? Let me offer three reasons:

1. Some leaders aren't comfortable giving recognition. Often unintentionally, a leader will attempt to offer praise or recognition that simply comes out wrong. Indeed, the effort is deemed a waste by both giver & recipient (though neither one will share that with the other).
2. Some managers intentionally use recognition as a weapon -- treating those they favor with special awards (particularly to attack other high performers that they may not like as much). Such bosses are ego-driven and demand deference without much regard for others . . . unless those others are all about making them, the boss, look better.
3. Many awards are given without any presentation or link to the effort and work accomplished in order to receive it. While recognition is an amazing tool to connect with others, it is only as effective as we make it. If we aren't connecting with people, than neither is the award that simply shows up on the recipient's desk.
   

We must remember that in our effort to make recognition convenient and easy to do that it is still a human experience. What are some other reasons you believe recognition still falls flat, and what would you suggest to improve the situation?

Wake Up and Shake It Up Post

While I'm not very good at keeping my own blog site current, I recently co-wrote a piece with Tanveer Naseer titled, "Is Your Leadership Serving Others . . . or Just Yourself?"

You can read it here at Shawn Murphy's leadership blog series called "Wake Up and Shake It Up."

Purposeful Preparation

The last few weeks have flown by as I've traveled the globe speaking to different organizations and meeting amazing people! Frequently, I will have people come up after a presentation to ask how I became a speaker. My answer is: 1) I've known for over two decades that this is my calling -- I love it; 2) I spend hundreds of hours preparing my presentations . . . reading books, blogs, newspapers, interviewing people, and actively listening to learn the best; and 3) I practice and present frequently.

My goal is to always offer something new in each presentation and that requires me to stay connected and on my toes.

Recently, while preparing for a presentation in the speaker's prep room at a conference, I heard another speaker bragging about how she made her stories up to support her points. She was proud of her inauthentic style and defended it as if she were justifying the behavior. I know other speakers that rely on the same material year after year, and I've heard some fairly wild leadership philosophies that were based on nothing but the opinion of the presenter.

Fortunately, I know many speakers that work very hard and deliver amazing presentations as well. They work hard and prepare well for each engagement. I'm always inspired to do more as I see such fine examples. Indeed, when I was only 16 years old it was Stephen R. Covey that made a lasting impression in my life. I knew then that I would speak. Recently, while speaking at the same conference, I finally met Dr. Covey (no, we're not related and my hair loss was completely natural).

Before I speak, I always ask:

• What can I do to serve the people that have come to listen today?


• How do I create a conversation that leaves people with hope and optimism?


• How can I be authentic and genuine?


• Ultimately, how do I ensure that this conversation is about others, and not just a performance from me?


• Is the information I'm sharing relevant, real, and reflective of current realities?

I'm not perfect. Indeed, I'm constantly seeking new ways to improve, learn, and grow. The preparation time is significant and I'm constantly seeking new material that is relevant, and most importantly, real. I'm grateful to be able to share, meet, and converse with people all around the world. I'm grateful to be a speaker.

What are you passionate about? What is your calling? Where do you spend hundreds of hours of your life?

Now, back to preparing for my presentation tomorrow.

Unnecessary Accusations of Inaccuracy

I appreciate Dawn Westerberg's blog on healthy & unhealthy behavior in the workplace. She wrote it after reading a tweet I posted the other day that said this:

REAL leaders celebrate when others on the team succeed . . . ego-driven managers fear they will lose status.

Interestingly, I wrote this based on my own past experience with managers that were very threatened by the success of anyone else on their team. They reluctantly praised people, but you could feel their hesitancy, and worse, they talked down the team accomplishments while searching for as much praise and recognition as they could find for themselves.

The problem with this is that managers that lack self-esteem often try to cover it up with ego that does even more harm. According to Wikipedia, healthy narcissism is often required to overcome a sense of insignificance. However, an unhealthy narcissism quickly leads to magical thinking where the person thinks they are perfect and they distort the truth to dump on others instead. It is a major cause of bullying, arrogance, and envy -- all of which destroy workplace morale.

We all want to feel good about ourselves. Indeed, a healthy dose of confidence is critical to healthy relationships where people can appreciate one another and celebrate when others do well. The danger comes when one feels compelled to distort the truth to protect their own perceived status of importance. Indeed, to use Dawn's words, unhealthy behavior results in "unnecessary accusations of inaccuracy."

The Power of Service / Milestone Awards

Companies have long used milestone awards to thank people for their years of service to the organization. Now, some are suggesting that such recognition isn't relevant anymore since the average tenure of employees is only SIX years (much less in some industries), and the younger generations don't want it. Before you throw it out, let me ask you a few questions:

1. How do you deliver service awards?
2. What percentage of your population do you reach in a positive way?
3. Do you make it memorable for the recipient & the audience?

The truth is that a great service award program is a terrific way to reinforce your company values and purpose. While many people work hard, it is good to stop and celebrate once in a while as a reminder that our efforts are not in vain. The kicker is that it must be done well to have a meaningful impact, but doesn't every program?

Unlike other forms of recognition, service awards also have no dark side. No one will be jealous of the award recipients, and when done respectfully, the other employees will see how the company appreciates good work. It isn't a survival award (though in some cases, it could be). It is a celebration of one's contribution to the company's values & purpose.

Do it right and you have a powerful way of communicating your company message without a lecture or threat. The nice thing is that people respond better to a positive message as well!

Real Recognition Radio Show Guests

This week Roy & I had the privilege of interviewing Sonia Di Maulo and Tanveer Naseer on Real Recognition Radio.

While the effort to create a better work environment may seem like common sense, the value in the conversation comes from actually doing something about it. I encourage you to take a look at your own workplace to consider the following:

• What is the language like?
• Do people build each other up or spend more time protecting themselves?
• Are managers so concerned with their own ego that they are unable to genuinely celebrate their team member's success?
• Can you trust the people around you?
• Do people hoard information and hoard the credit for work others do?
• Is the culture one that supports an abundance mentality where many people can contribute and succeed?

I encourage you to take the time to listen to the show and read the blogs from Sonia & Tanveer summarizing the conversation.

My Favorite Tweets this Week

When used properly, social media can be an amazing tool and a vast land of learning. Here are some favorite tweets from people this week:

• "Nothing stunts a leader's growth like an overdeveloped ego." (via @tedcoine)
• "The greatest thing a generation can do is lay a few stepping stones for the next generation." Charles Kettering (via @johncmaxwell)
• "Leadership should be more participative than directive, more enabling than performing." Mary D. Poole (via @thehrgoddess)
• "The bridges you cross before you come to them are over rivers that aren't there." Gene Brown (via @salespowertips)
• "Love and kindness are the very basis of society. If we lose these, society will face tremendous difficulties." The Dalai Lama (via @UpayaChaplains)
• "Ask for help not because you are weak, but because you want to remain strong." Les Brown (via @ReadyTOFeedback @czaucha @BillyCoxLive)
• "Employee recognition is powerful when you understand the principles and practices behind it -- Make it more than a gimmick! (via @smaxbrown -- me)

The Measure of a Man or Woman

In his book titled, "Making Your Company Human: Inspiring Others to Reach Their Potential," Le Herron suggests that CEOs should be paid based on how fairly they serve their customers, their employees, and the shareholders. What is their reward? His answer was simple, yet important to repeat: "When you achieve the intangible result of helping people to open up and contribute their best efforts, it makes the tangible results, like revenue growth and market share, better and more likely."

He went on to say that for the "leader who tries to live in accord with the priciples of fairness and serving others," there is a greater reward. Le then shared the story of the day he retired and all of the associates at his company came together to present him with this poem titled, "The Measure of a Man":

A man's no bigger than the way he treats his fellow man.
This standard has his measure been since time itself began.
He's measured not by tithes or creed, high-sounding though they be;
Nor by the gold that's put aside, nor by his sanctity.
He's measured not by social rank, when character's the test.
Nor by his earthly pomp or show, displaying wealth possessed.
He's measured by his justice, right; his fairness at his play;
His squareness in all dealings made; his honest, upright way.
These are his measures, ever near to serve him when they can,
For a man's no bigger than the way he treats his fellow man.

Author Unknown

How do you measure success? Is it the way you treat others?

A Sign of Being Human

The need for appreciation isn't a sign of weakness, but rather it is a sign of being human.

How can you better validate and appreciate the people in your life? I challenged my audience at Duke University to consider this question, and then I took it one step further saying, "Identify someone that you don't think would actually want the recognition and tell them specifically (and sincerely) what you appreciate about them." One month later, I followed-up with the audience members to find out what they had done.

An executive raised her hand to tell me that she had reluctantly recognized a long-time employee. "He was always doing great work, and yet I had never said anything in the past because I didn't think he would want to hear it," she said. "However, after your challenge I decided to take a chance," pausing for a moment, she then said, "After recognizing him for his amazing work over so many years he came into my office and said that in NINETEEN years of working for the organization he had never had anyone acknowledge his work." She humbly concluded saying, "He told me thank you for noticing and then he walked out . . . I had no idea."

The simplicity, the influence, and the power of genuine appreciation should not be taken for granted. Please consider the benefits of communicating in a positive way that builds trust, creates hope, and inspires confidence. How can you better validate and appreciate the people in your life?

The need for appreciation is not a sign of weakness . . . it is a sign of being human.

The Power of Milestones: Cadence, Receptivity, & Audience Impact

Over the past few months, I've heard one comment pop up over and over again from people all around North America:

"I'm not sure what we are getting for the money we spend on service awards."

Before you throw them out, let me share three reasons why celebrating milestones (including your service awards) can be one of the best opportunities you have to declare your company values and motivate employees. One disclaimer: Like most things, in order to be meaningful, recognition needs to be done well (something I'll discuss in a later post). Unfortunately, service awards have taken a hard hit in recent years because people forget how to make them meaningful to recipients. Hopefully, these three things can get you back on track:

1. Cadence. Milestones trigger reasons to celebrate. Unlike performance awards that may only touch a small percentage of employees at uneven intervals, service awards acknowledge every human being in the organization for the contribution they have made over the years. This timely, and regular, reminder to celebrate with the team member who has a five-year anniversary coming up is a great way for managers to reconnect with the people they work with. The cadence of a milestone helps to remind us that while the daily work demands can consume us, we need to stop every once in a while to celebrate our people.
2. Receptivity. Milestones are objective. They are transparent and they get rid of the "dark side" of recognition. Performance awards on the other hand are subject to perceptions of fairness -- not a show stopper, but it is something to be aware of nonetheless. The problem is when you rely entirely on performance awards to recognize employees three things will likely occur: a) some achievements will be overlooked; b) people will question the validity of the award; and c) managers will begin recognizing people privately. Milestone awards are much different. People are more open and willing to listen during a service anniversary celebration. Isn't this your primary objective in the first place? To get an opportunity to communicate with all of your employees when they are more receptive to the message? A receptive audience is more likely to hear what you have to say and you are able to communicate it in a positive way.
3. Audience. Milestones are big events that usually involve lots of people. A well prepared celebration doesn't require a lot of time or money, but you should think about it in advance. What would I like to communicate to this individual today? How has their contribution made us a better company? Is there anything I want to emphasize so that others will hopefully get the point as well? Remember, your message isn't just for the award recipient. So, what you say to the individual should be relevant to those listening as well. Ask a few of the employee's colleagues to participate in advance, and remind them to focus their comments on how the person's contributions have made the company better. Afterwards, invite the manager to say a few words linking the behaviors of the individual with the corporate values. The result: A message given to the whole audience, which celebrates the individual and lifts everyone.

Remember, recognition is about communicating the positive things we do at work (and we need at least 3 -5 positives for every negative). Done properly, recognition builds trust, it lifts people up, and it prepares them for the multiple tasks that lie ahead. Why would you want to take one of the most effective and most positive ways to communicate away?

Discussing REAL Leadership with Annie Hart

I had a lot of fun discussing REAL Leadership with Annie Hart on her show: Radio 42

RMI hits the airwaves

Beginning on February 23rd, I will be co-hosting along with Roy Saunderson, RMI President and Founder, Voice of America’s newest weekly radio show: Real Recognition Radio.

Real Recognition Radio is going to go back to what recognition is really all about. We’re going to help make better people and create more positive relationships. We’ll look at what’s new and exciting in the field of employee rewards, recognition and incentives. We’ll also talk to people who have lived successes and failures to help us learn what works and what doesn’t.

The show’s first installment will be featuring Brenna Garratt as our first guest. Brenna Garratt is a member of Rideau Recognition Solutions’ board of directors and CEO of The Delve Group, Inc. Brenna has been instrumental in working with Senior Executives to reshape and reposition existing brands, as well as invent, position and promote new ones so they are correctly understood internally and externally in their respective marketplaces.

Having been active in both the recognition field and marketing, Brenna’ll be discussing the importance of marketing and communication within your recognition program so your program touches your employees and achieves the goals you intended it to.

Real Recognition Radio will show you how to get real results in the workplace through meaningful recognition solutions.

The show premiers February 23rd, and will air every Tuesday at 1 PM ET on the VoiceAmerica Business Channel. Click here to check it out!

Love Leadership

I love books that challenge the status quo, and more importantly, provide real solutions for a better future. This is exactly why I highly recommend that you take the time to get this book: "Love Leadership: The New Way To Lead in a Fear-Based World," by John Hope Byrant.

The case John makes is this: "As unlikely as it sounds, the best way to get ahead is to figure out what you have to give to a world seemingly obsessed with only one question: "what do I get?" To make the argument that "the best way to do well and to achieve true wealth over the long term is to do good," he breaks it down into five fundamental laws:

1. Loss Creates Leaders (there can be no strength without legitimate suffering)
2. Fear Fails (only respect and love leads to success)
3. Love Makes Money (love is at the core of true wealth)
4. Vulnerability is Power (when you open up to people, they open up to you)
5. Giving is Getting (the more you offer to others the more they will give back to you)

Do yourself a favor and buy this book for Valentine's Day -- it is a great read and I've purchased several copies to share with clients and friends.

I'm also very excited to be interviewing Chairman John Hope Bryant to discuss the book in further detail on Real Recognition Radio -- more details coming soon so stay tuned!

Perfection Not Required

"Things don't have to be perfect to be wonderful." Veanne Elg

Sometimes, our fear of imperfection is so great that we are unable to do anything. Seth Godin recently said something to this effect: "When I'm feeling scared about something then I know I should keep pursuing it." He went on to say that the times in his life that haven't gone well were the times when he listened to the voice of fear and did nothing. Likewise, his highest moments have been when he has decided to push through the fear and live life.

Why are we so gripped by fear? What is the worst that can happen? Why must we believe that anything but perfection dooms us to a life of unhappiness? Ironically, it is often the fear itself that inhibits us from finding happiness.

I invite you to consider what your life could be like without the fear of failure. What if it was okay to be imperfect? What if you could still enjoy things despite the flaws and shortcomings? I'm not suggesting that we accept failure or never try to improve, but I do believe that we would all live happier lives if we didn't focus on our weaknesses so much.

Remember: "Things don't have to be perfect to be wonderful."

HR’s Opportunity to Create Meaning, Live Values, & Humanize Work

Allan Collins, President & CEO of SuccessInHR.com, recently asked this question on LinkedIn: “What is the single biggest opportunity HR professionals need to prepare for in the next 1-2 years?”

My response comes in THREE overlapping parts and I’ll explain why I think these are all so important:

1) To create meaning:

HR has the biggest opportunity to create MEANING in the workplace. People want to be part of a cause and science proves engagement increases when we are doing things we’re passionate about. Understanding the business objectives is not enough! HR needs to be part of the team that FORMS the business objectives to ensure alignment and to create meaningful work.

2) To live the values:

The BOOMERS made the $$$. They are the last generation to know what a pension is, and they have saved some cash (okay, I know there are a few endangered company pensions out there, but ultimately, they will only exist in government jobs and history books). This younger generation has to figure out how to survive on a 401K, increasing premiums, and no insurance after retirement. Why do they want more now? Why not? They don’t see a lot of hope for making it to retirement if they aren’t aggressive.

Companies have proven over and over again that shareholders are more important than employees (with the exception of a few executives that make hundreds of millions of dollars). The younger generation has witnessed all of the corporate GREED . . . so why are we surprised that they don’t feel loyal in return? The CEO of GE just recently talked about the sins of his generation of leaders . . . it is sad and true.

The challenge for HR: Demonstrating ethics, proving that the values are lived not just printed, and engaging this workforce in purposeful work.

3) Humanize the workplace:

HR needs to seize the opportunity to demonstrate how the company of tomorrow will quickly replace old styles of abusing employees. The best places to work will demonstrate a passion for HUMANIZING the work experience again. They will be faster and more flexible then the competition, and ultimately, they will reap the rewards. HR must DRIVE this conversation rather than just going with the flow.

Should we still call it Human “Resources”?

Should we still call it Human Resources? Or is there a better way to describe what HR professionals do? If people are to be viewed as more than assets, then maybe we need to change the title of Human “Resources” to reflect the changes as well. To be credible, we should get beyond administration of paperwork to consider what we could be doing: humanizing the workplace.

In my opinion, the HR professionals of the future have an opportunity to change the workplace so dramatically that they will no longer like the term “resources” as it no longer describes what they really do (I’ll explain when you see my answer to the next question).

Allan Collins, President & CEO of SuccessInHR.com, recently asked this question on LinkedIn: “What is the single biggest opportunity HR professionals need to prepare for in the next 1-2 years?”

My response is this: To create meaning, live the values, and HUMANIZE the workplace for employees. I’ll lay out my case for this in my next post.

How would you answer Allan’s question? What do you think is the single biggest opportunity for HR professionals? Assuming they should even still be called human “resource” professionals . . . what do you think?