Ridge Insights - December 2006
Appreciation
Ridge Insights
A monthly e-brief from Ridge Training
Date: December 21, 2006
To subscribe: www.ridge.com/insights.htm
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What We're Thinking About: Appreciation
It's often said that common sense isn't common practice. Such is the case with appreciation. We know the value that such acknowledgment brings; we just don't do it as often or as skillfully as we could.
Part of the problem lies in our "mindfulness"--we don't often notice the things others do that help us be more successful. We're trained to look for problems to fix. Anything that's a non-problem often doesn't register on our radar screens. We're also so busy doing our own work that we aren't tuned in to what others are doing well. No squeak, no oil.
The other part of the problem is hesitancy to act when you see something worth acknowledging. Even if you recognize that you should thank someone, it's easy to become your own devil's advocate and talk yourself out of it. You don't want the other person to get a big head or "dial back" their effort. Or, if his/her performance isn't as good in other areas, you worry about sending the wrong message. While it's natural to have such second thoughts, management thinkers from Frederick Hertzberg
to Peter Drucker to Marcus Buckingham, have demonstrated that people perform better when their contributions and strengths are acknowledged. More appreciation creates happier employees *and* better performance! That's a great return on a low-risk, low-effort investment.
It's that time of year when the spirit of gratitude and giving are in the air. So in addition to the gifts you give that cost money, look for opportunities to give the gift of appreciation. And if you would like a little help in that effort, please download our "Appreciation Alert!"
http://www.ridge.com/appreciate.html
Thank YOU for your interest this year in Ridge and Ridge Insights. On behalf of everyone at Ridge, we wish you joy-filled holidays and a prosperous new year!
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