Business Strategies
If you’ve been following the Business Strategies topic, two weeks ago you read that research has shown that positive reinforcement raises morale at work (What My Dog Taught me About Team Motivation), and in last week’s post I wrote about how there are inherent negative consequences to this approach that also helps motivate employees to do the right thing (The Stick Inherent in the Carrot).
Last week’s post ended with the affirmation that this approach has positive consequences for your whole organization. This post focuses on these consequences for your managers.
As your organization fully adopts the positive reinforcement mindset by practicing daily rewards for desired behavior through incentives and public recognition, you’ll begin to notice a change in the company undertone or, as some call it, the company culture.
This change presents itself in the employees’ behavioral changes toward your managers. For example, employees who realize their managers don’t respond to poor behavior, in fact, don’t reward it, will begin to believe in the system and your managers’ ability to implement it. In other words, your employees will begin to feel confident that their manager is looking out to reward EVERYONE who can produce great results, not just a selected few that may or not be deserving of it. So, immediately the concept of favoritism disappears and is replaced with a meritocracy.
In practice, I’ve seen employees feel and behave as though their manager is their professional savior: someone who’s devoted to insuring their success, rather than criticize their shortcomings; someone who’ll make every effort to help them grow, rather than prevent them from reaching their title or pay level and beyond. Often times, the employees feel they can confide in their managers about the issues at work, or even at home. They feel they can trust this person not to take advantage of what’s said, but provide a guiding path to the safe place of “work-place peace.” You may be laughing at this statement, but people want to feel protected by those whose jobs it is to do just that: protect them and promote their growth.
Now, who doesn’t want to be considered someone’s savior?
I’d mentioned there are many beneficial consequences to this approach of positive reinforcement. In next week’s post we’ll review the consequences for your organization’s reputation both in and out of the public eye.
What Do You think?
As always, feel free to comment below with your take on these ideas.
Photo Credit: AdamSelwood