Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM JANUARY 2017 44 Libby Wagner Culture Coach Libby Wagner, author of The Influencing Option: The Art of Building a Profit Culture in Business, works with clients to help them create and sustain Profit Cultures www.libbywagner.com RO R oses, especially in February, often symbolize love and appreciation. I don't actually know anyone who doesn't like roses. I have a friend who always has roses in large and small vases, in a variety of colors all over her home. I used to grow roses (the best smelling kind) and heard that we love the intoxicating smell of them because they stimulate our brains with an electric-type current. I know that when I leave roses on my dining room table, my cat sneaks up in the night and chews on the edges! My roses always look a bit forlorn. I once worked for an organization whose president, on the first day of Spring, would personally deliver small bouquets of flowers to every person who worked in an office. He'd cart up these bouquets walking around saying, "thank you for your hard work and dedication." I'm not sure what it cost him in dollars, but the return on investment was huge. That was his style, and it might not be yours. What I do know is that the power of recognition and appreciation is more than just a nice gesture and it's more than a thing to cross off your to-do list for your team. Recognition matters for all the right reasons: employee engagement, decrease turnover, higher performance, better innovation. Why do we often overlook recognition and what can we do about it? SOME TRAPS: 1. We think we don't need to say "thank you" or show appreciation for people who are "just doing their jobs." Why not? Have you ever been thanked too much? Have you ever had the thought, "Oh, I get way too much appreciation and recognition for ordinary things."? Probably not. 2. We think paying people is enough of a "thanks." No, actually, it's not. And the research shows that money is consistently #5 on the list of reasons why people choose to stay working at a company rather than leave. 3. We think if we show appreciation for someone, it will discourage them from higher performance or improvement. What? (That doesn't even make any sense . . . but I've heard this, which is why I'm including it here!) People who may be struggling or inconsistent in their performance might especially need your appreciation. That doesn't mean you let a non-performer linger, but sometimes the emotional investment really pays off! SOME IDEAS TO SHOW THE LOVE: 1. Do the simple stuff. Just say "please" and "thank you" and demonstrate good manners with your employees and colleagues. 2. Take time to be specific. We know that specificity plays a significant role in how someone hears our feedback, both positive and constructive. Without specificity, they don't actually get it, and in terms of specific positive feedback, we want to communicate a few things: what the impact of their work is, what specifically they did that you liked/appreciated, and how it made a difference to you. This increases trust, reinforces good behaviors and engages people emotionally. 3. Be sincere and liberal with your thanks. There's no need to be stingy with appreciation and you can do it via email, in person, formally, informally, at company gatherings, in a private one-on- one conversation. It doesn't actually matter. Just do it. 4. Model gratitude and recognition for others to create a culture of positive reinforcement. In one organization striving to build better trust, the CEO asked employees to notice and recognize each other for demonstrating high levels of the Core Dimensions (Respect, Empathy, Specificity and Genuineness) with their colleagues and customers. It made a significant impact on morale and rapport. You don't have to be the gal or guy walking around handing out flowers, but you can be! What's most important is that you share gratitude and recognition—share your appreciation and love for others' commitment, loyalty, efforts, impact, perseverance—because that's one strong way to support a culture of high performance, morale, and trust. WHERE'S THE LOVE? THE ROLE OF RECOGNITION AND APPRECIATION

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