Do you remember the last time someone gave you a pat on the back? Sure you do!
Memorable. One of the reasons we’ve remembered these is because they don’t happen all that often. Unfortunately. So when someone does remember to acknowledge some action we have taken, it is memorable.
Motivating. In addition to being memorable, most times it is motivating. Positive reinforcement is a motivator. If you can remember back to when he you received that “pat on the back,” you probably also remember that it energized you.
As you translate all this to a work, organizational, or family situation, it becomes a no-brainer to realize how you can inject energy and positively motivate the people involved.
Recognition is one of the most effective ways to reinforce positive behavior and to energize people. So, the more you recognize and appreciate people, the more influential you can be.
Here are a few tips:
- Customize your appreciation. Make sure that the delivery of your appreciation matches the personality and style of the individual or group.
- Do it soon. The sooner you can share your appreciation after the notable action, the better.
- Be specific. Instead of saying “you were great,” say “I really thought the way you explained that XYZ situation helped the group understand it better.”
- Don’t be afraid to acknowledge an individual’s performance. If one member a task force shined, don’t be afraid to highlight that individual’s contribution, rather than generalizing to the entire task force.
- Be creative. You can find new and interesting ways to recognize the performance you want to see repeated. This can be really fun!
- Always be sincere. Any praise that you deliver has to be sincere, otherwise the message will not get through. And you will lose credibility.
- Just do it! One of the biggest challenges with giving people pats on the back is just remembering to do it. We need to turn our good intentions into action…
By appreciating and acknowledging people, you become the Energizer. It is not hard. It does not take time. It is free. So what is holding you back from getting people a well-deserved pat on the back?
