Let’s start with a riddle:
The poor have it.
The rich need it.
If you eat it you will die.
What is it?
I’ll answer it at the end of the post. Trust me, it will connect.
While you’re thinking of the answer let’s have a quick chat. I’ve been noticing that the loud and monotonous drumbeat of reward and recognition gurus is getting more and more annoying.
It’s always the same.
Employees want recognition. Employees will be engaged if you recognize their efforts and contributions. If you don’t use social media to broadcast your recognition efforts you will lose employees–turnover will skyrocket, engagement will nose dive.
If you don’t believe me, go check out Twitter or LinkedIn right now. I bet you won’t be able to go 2 minutes without seeing a post about recognition and engagement. All saying the same thing over, and over, and over and over again.
It’s almost like no one is listening.
Not almost, they aren’t.
My opinion is that managers don’t listen because the concept of recognition as a true lever for engagement and better employee relations seems trivial and almost juvenile. Many believe that once you enter the workforce as a grownup, the time for participation trophies is over. It’s time to “man/woman” up and go do your job. Cash that paycheck. That’s your recognition–cash.
I’ve had that conversation more times than I care to admit.
And I can’t fault the “logic.”
We are grownups. Well, most of us are. And we do what we do to get that paper–not for the props. We work for money to get houses, TVs and McRib sandwiches. We don’t work to get noticed, right?
Except we do.
We’re still human and we still need validation. When Bobby down the hall gets paid the same as you–and he worships at the altar of George Costanza– you can’t help but feel the paycheck just isn’t doing it for you. Are you really worth the same as Bobby? Does your paycheck adequately reflect the time and effort you put into your work? Probably not. So you go looking for validation by proxy–more money.
So for those of you who think we are too mature for recognition here’s the truth:
No one stays at an organization because they get plaques.
But people leave if they don’t.
That is the real truth, and that is why there is this disconnect.
We DON’T stay for plaques. We don’t hang around waiting for recognition. No one would say that. Yet, we leave if we don’t feel appreciated.
It’s the absence of recognition that has impact, not the presence of it.
So now back to the riddle. Did you figure it out?
The answer is “nothing.”
The poor have nothing.
The rich need nothing.
If you eat nothing you will die.
In the case of recognition, nothing has more impact than something.
Weird, right?
Paul Hebert is Vice President of Individual Performance Strategy at Creative Group Inc, writer, speaker and consultant. Paul focuses on influencing behaviors and driving business results through employees, channel partners and consumers. He is dedicated to creating true emotional connections often overlooked in our automated, tech-enabled world. Using proven motivational theory, behavioral economics and social psychology he has driven extraordinary company performance for his clients. Paul is widely considered an expert on motivation, incentives, and engagement.