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.