Comments for Make Their Day

Comment on Using Improv Techniques to Teach Managers Recognition Skills by sandrar

sandrar — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 21:27:31 +0000

Hi! I was surfing and found your blog post… nice! I love your blog. Cheers! Sandra. R.

Comment on Hate Micromanaging? Try Employee Recognition! by Pat

Pat — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 18:32:57 +0000

Unlike your manager, others haven’t yet build into their awareness the necessity of recognition.

There is a strong correlation around specific recognition of employee’s contributions to their increased productivity. So, how do we give managers a crash course in focusing on recognition. Once-a-year performance reviews are not really for recognition, but rather for financial considerations.

Like your manager, they need a signal that wakes them up immediately that they need to tend to their team members. Maybe managers take 10 minutes at the beginning or the end of their days to stop and think about what each of their direct reports have contributed to the day. Then take that information and let the employee know they are appreciated.

Recognition is a discipline like any other priority we create in our lives.

Pat

Comment on Email me by KB

KB — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:30:42 +0000

Where can you find the calculator for the cost of a bad hire? Could not find it on ADP website. Thank you in advance for your help!

Comment on Employee Satisfaction Surveys by Ryan Williams

Ryan Williams — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 15:48:09 +0000

Good post Cindy,

Employee surveys should not be events. They are a process. If the survey is part of an annual employee climate/engagement/culture/satisfaction evaluation, the first time should involve wide spread participation to identify content needs and create a communication plan. The survey administration and formal recommendations are just a small part of an effective survey program.

When the process is designed well, managers should be equipped to work with the results in their teams. When surveys are used at the localized level to create dialogue around improvements you have the opportunity to have the largest impacts.

Getting to the right solution can get in the way of the change that occurs with a great process.

For example: using recognition – in your example to have dramatic results you would require a culture change where employees across the board take on the responsibility of recognizing each other. To have broad based culture change you need high levels of participation. The survey can be part of that process.

Comment on Hate Micromanaging? Try Employee Recognition! by Derek Irvine, Globoforce

Derek Irvine, Globoforce — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 19:54:04 +0000

Excellent post once again, Cindy. I blogged on a similar vein of managers who only recognize and act on the bad, never the good.

With the pressures mounting on managers from all directions, it becomes harder to notice the good but so much easier to punish the bad. Conversely, because of increased pressure, employees need to know their efforts are appreciated all the more, especially if you want them to keep delivering at a high level of performance.

More on this including research from the Financial Post and Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers here:
http://globoforce.blogspot.com/2009/03/staying-aware-of-employee-needs-in.html

Comment on Keeping Your Team Engaged in a Crisis by Cindy Ventrice

Cindy Ventrice — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 15:40:36 +0000

Haines and Barbara,

Thanks for your comments.

To clarify, Remedy was acquired by a company that had huge problems. AThe parent company initiated the crisis, not Remedy. Remedy continued to perform as a great company that put people level with profits, and as a result, remained robust. It wasn’t long until they were once again sold to a much more solid company.

Comment on Keeping Your Team Engaged in a Crisis by Dr. Barbara Keaton

Dr. Barbara Keaton — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 12:32:45 +0000

Cindy, help me to understand your writing on this topic. You mention Remedy as failing and being delisted. Then you go on to say that they were a great company — putting employees on equal level with profits etc. Please clarify. Thanks, Barbara

Comment on Keeping Your Team Engaged in a Crisis by Haines Maxwell

Haines Maxwell — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 10:19:38 +0000

Cindy…thanks for the reminder that PEOPLE are a company’s most valuable asset. I’m reminded of a lady I met who was a vital employee in a small marketing firm. She had fantastic pay and very flexible hours which accomodated some school schedule issues with her children. She told me she was leaving the company, however, for one reason – she didn’t feel appreciated. Wow. Of course, money is important to all of us but over the long haul folks need to know that they have a recognized and important role on the team. How will they know if we don’t communicate that to them. Amen?

Comment on Employee Recognition: Small Budget, Big Payback by Derek Irvine, Globoforce

Derek Irvine, Globoforce — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 22:00:33 +0000

You’re right, Cindy, that recognition doesn’t have to be expense. Sincerely noticing, appreciating and documenting employee effort doesn’t have to cost anything at all, beyond a little time. But for the many companies that already have recognition programs in place, simply uncovering often ad-hoc, unmeasured efforts and consolidating them into one properly administered and corporately governed program can save 50-70% of current investment.

I’d love to see more companies using their current investment funds more wisely to recognize far more of their employee populations throughout the year.

Staying aware of employee needs and responding to them — especially needs for acknowledgment, appreciation and recognition — are more important now than ever. I wrote more extensively about this here: http://globoforce.blogspot.com/2009/03/staying-aware-of-employee-needs-in.html

Comment on Employee Recognition Is Up in Down Economy by Cindy Ventrice

Cindy Ventrice — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 21:14:36 +0000

Thanks Derek. I will keep an eye on your posts for the new index.