Gift versus Strategy – Two Perspectives on Recognition

Gift versus Strategy – Two Perspectives on Recognition

Sam is a conscientious and dedicated supervisor who – by his own admission – is from the “old school.” He has a strong set of beliefs that was forged early in his working career. One of those beliefs has to do with recognition. As Sam sees it, recognition is a gift – something special. By his way of thinking, “You don’t give people gifts for doing what they’re supposed to do ... for just doing their jobs.” Go way above and beyond the call of duty, and he will praise you. But merely do what he expects you to do and you won’t hear from Sam – unless, of course, you screw up.

Sam applies this management philosophy to all areas of employee performance and behavior. As a result, his people often feel unappreciated (taken for granted). And they’re much more concerned about avoiding problems than they are committed to doing their best work. The reasons for this are fairly obvious, and the results that Sam gets (or doesn’t get) are fairly predictable.

Gloria is a manager who works in the office next to Sam. She’s held a leadership position for several years, and she understands a lot about people and their behavior. Unlike Sam, Gloria doesn’t view recognition as a gift at all. Instead, she sees it as two things: 1) a “common courtesy” – a way to demonstrate appreciation for employees who make her life easier by doing right, and 2) a “strategy” for getting the performance she wants and needs from her people.

When it comes to the second point, Gloria knows that reinforced behavior is repeated behavior. And she uses that knowledge to build a high-quality work unit – and ensure her success as a leader in the process.

Don’t read this wrong. Gloria isn’t soft on performance. Just the opposite – she expects people to abide by the organization’s standards and holds everyone accountable for doing so. But she also looks for, finds, and seizes every opportunity to commend those who meet those expectations. As a result, her team members are motivated to demonstrate their job commitment every chance they get. In the end, everyone wins – especially Gloria.