What is it that makes a good leader? Is it the ability to set a direction? The drive to focus on results? The vision to promote innovation? Or is it possibly the skill to find people and empower them to do all of the above?
Advertising pioneer David Ogilvy once said “If you always hire people who are bigger than you are, we shall become a company of giants.” He believed that true leaders hired the best people they could find and then got out of their way.
You can’t get great results just by leaving employees to their own devices. Recognizing the achievements of your staff is the engine that drives real success.
“The higher up you go, the more important it is to celebrate the achievements of others,” said David Novak at the Novak Leadership Speaker Series at University of Missouri. Novak is currently the CEO of oGo Lead, and former CEO of YUM!Brands.
Novak tells about a time early in his career when he wanted to fire an employee that he saw as a liability. But after talking about the matter with his supervisor Novak talked with the employee, saw his potential and ended up with a top performer. Recognizing an employee’s strengths, it turns out, is a great way to build up your team.
We’ve said before that it is important to view Recognition as a business asset. Recognition has potential far beyond employee retention. It can help improve communication within the organization, reinforce values, and establish a culture of high performance.
Too many companies put their focus on recruiting yet spend far less time improving these resources once they are hired. A comprehensive recognition program ensures that your star players are getting the support they need to perform. It can help improve communication within the organization, reinforce values, and establish a culture of high performance.
According to global business advisors Willis Towers Watson, employee recognition can “turbocharge” employee engagement, which in turn is strongly linked to positive business outcomes.
To start with, keep a record of the people you interact with, take time to learn what they do and note their accomplishments. Ask the people who work for you to do the same and take the time to learn where people are getting things done.
Of course it can be time-consuming to try and keep track of large teams. A social recognition platform can help you organize and simplify your efforts at recognition. TemboSocial Recognition is a social platform that will make the job even easier by crowdsourcing recognition amongst your workforce.
Talk to your team and your HR department today about what you can do to make recognition a larger part of your business plan. Your company will thank you for your leadership.