Here’s a tip passed onto me by a client I was working with today, apparently originating with Chester Elton www.chesterelton.com – best selling author and renowned expert on leadership. I guess it speaks for itself, but here’s my interpretation of it:
As a leader you have to be sure your people feel their efforts are being noticed and feel some acknowledgement of their input. So make sure you recognise them, with open and specific praise for a job well done; a card; a voucher; anything that shows their effort is of value. Do this as much as and as often as is appropriate and necessary for your people to feel the love and want to give you more of the same.
However… be careful not to confuse the effort with their achievement of their core KPI’s for the company. Save your financial rewards for the real results when delivered upon. Don’t give someone a financial bonus or pay rise unless the results are there and their own measured contribution to it is clear. It’s all too easy to give someone a pay rise because you’ve seen them working hard… but at the end of the day your business only works on results, and so should your financial rewards to your team.
From the desk of liber8yourbusiness. Business mentors and experts in exit strategies for small businesses. Based in Wellington, New Zealand.