A Simple Way to Improve Performance and Increase Staff Productivity

In your quest to achieve higher performance and productivity from your healthcare team, you might want to add this item to your management toolkit – the simple “thank you.”

The July 2009 issue of Money magazine offers a vivid reminder of the power of recognition — thanks to the glowing box of carrots jumping out at you on page 21.

In the magazine’s accompanying article, Get Your People To Work Harder… without pushing them so hard that they quit, Tyler Cowen, professor of economics at George Mason University, explains that while doling out bonuses for superior performance is an effective approach, a tight budget doesn’t mean that you have to resign yourself to sluggish performance.

Low-budget approaches can actually yield even better results when it comes to motivating the performance you want.

Cowen cites a study by Kaisen Consulting showing that employees actually ranked “financial reward” as only 6th in a list of workplace motivators. “Far more important are recognition and a sense of accomplishment. So,” he exhorts, “ladle on the praise for a job well done.”

The fact is, psychological research has proven time and again that offering regular praise and appreciation is a highly effective employee motivation strategy.

That’s why business owners and managers who regularly recognize and praise high-performing employees achieve higher levels of productivity, employee retention, and customer satisfaction than managers who don’t.

That’s also why their businesses tend to wind up with greater bottom-line financial performance as well.

Yet in the day to day rush of a clinical environment, it’s easy to either forget to recognize people or to offer only cursory and non-specific praise.

To get the best results from praise and appreciation, it’s important to be as specific as possible.

People need to know why they are being praised, and what they did to earn the positive attention. When people are clear on why you are recognizing them, they are more likely to repeat the behavior you want.

The following article from Dr. Kevin Freiberg and Dr. Jackie Freiberg, best-selling authors and highly sought-after speakers and consultants, offers 25 terrific “templates” for offering praise and recognition that you can easily adapt for your workplace environment.

As you read the article, note how each statement is aimed at an individual.

General statements such as, “Good job everybody” are nice, but don’t pack the same motivational punch.
 

25 Ways To Recognize People’s Contributions

Before you recognize someone stop and think about it for a minute. What competencies do you value? What attitudes do you look for? What results are you seeking? What were the critical factors in your success? How has this person demonstrated one or more of these things? The brain teasers listed below are intended to get you thinking creatively about recognizing your employees in an authentic and specific way. Remember that the people you report to need recognition too!

1. As I watched you handle that (customer, supplier, shareholder, etc.) today I was impressed by your ability to…
2. You are an extremely valuable member of the team because…
3. As I watched you lead the meeting today I realized how (smart, motivating, competent, fun, etc.) you are because…
4. You bring the kind of attitude and work ethic to our firm that inspires me because…
5. I see you running the (department, division, company, etc.) someday because…
6. I knew you could do it because…
7. You did a remarkable job because…
8. I’m proud of you because…
9. It’s clear that you are a quick study because…
10. Thanks for being “on top of it,” I have a lot of confidence in you because…
11. You have such a unique way of dealing with (people, details, technology, conflict, etc.) because…
12. You bring the right ingredients to this (project, company, team, etc.) because…
13. Thank you for speaking up; it took a lot of courage to…
14. Thank you. It was great to see you take responsibility for…
15. I like the way you were thinking and acting like an owner when you…
16. I admire your imagination and creativity because…
17. It’s exciting to work with you because…
18. I appreciated the way you listened so carefully before you…
19. You mean a lot to this (department, division, company, etc.) because…
20. I trust you because…
21. I like the way you collaborated with…
22. You make the rest of us laugh because…
23. I respect you because…
24. The best thing you did (in that meeting today, on that trip, on that proposal today, etc.) was…
25. You have a special knack for… For example…

 
By Dr. Kevin and Dr. Jackie Freiberg, world-class speakers, thought leaders, and authors of the best seller NUTS!, its sequel GUTS!, and recently BOOM! 7 Choices for Blowing the Doors Off Business-as-Usual. For more resources on improving your individual or business brand, visit our home page at http://www.freibergs.com or http://www.freibergs.com/cooltools/