Team Building: You Can Only Achieve What You Envision
I was speaking with an accomplished manager at a large firm and he asserted that, if you praise people in the workplace they get soft and complacent. I could tell that he genuinely believed what he was saying. What came to my mind is that you can only achieve what you can envision. For example, if you’re a leader who is trying to do some team building but you don’t believe in praise then what happens?
Think about the following two visions and the results they might produce in the workplace.
Praise Is Not Essential
If a leader believes this then he or she will be stingy with praise or withhold it all together. This could create a work environment where excellent people are not recognized or encouraged to excel. Innovative ideas might be ignored and individual talents might not matter. Think about what kind of environment this might create, likely not a thriving, dynamic organization. A praise-free workplace is simply about bodies doing work to generate numbers, complete tasks, make products or deliver services. These leaders and workplaces demand excellent performance but don’t know how to reward people when it happens.
Praise Is Valuable
Leaders in this workplace notice when employees are doing great work and they celebrate it. People say kind things to one another and acknowledge each other’s strengths and abilities. New thoughts and ideas are welcomed and recognized. Employees are praised for their input and feedback. Chances are that this workplace feels happier and more comfortable. Performance is better in this type of workplace because people are recognized when they do well.
You Can Only Achieve What You Envision
As a leader you have the ability to envision anything you want and achieve results based on your beliefs and actions. If you believe that people shouldn’t be praised then every aspect of your organization will reflect that point of view. If you understand that people thrive when they are genuinely commended for the things they do well then you’ll create a different type of workplace. Guess which approach leads to stronger teams and happier workplaces.
What will your vision achieve?
Take care,
Guy
Team Building and Leadership Training
