The Big Book of Small Business by Tom Gegax & Phil Bolsta

Author:Tom Gegax & Phil Bolsta
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2009-10-12T14:00:00+00:00

The important thing is this: to be able

at any moment to sacrifice what we

are for what we could become.

Don’t pay attention just when people are screwing up. Add some drive-by praising into the mix. When you notice what they’re doing well, they’ll listen to your constructive criticism in the right spirit. They’ll think, My boss is a good guy and he’s always fair, so if he’s got something to say, I wanna hear it.

There simply wasn’t anyone better than Dorie Thrall, my executive assistant at Tires Plus. She was smart, quick, and dogged. She knew when I needed help before I even knew I needed help. One morning I called her into my office. “Dorie,” I said, “I just wanted to tell you I think you’re doing a super job.” For ten minutes I rambled on about her skills, dedication, and cheerfulness. Her efforts meant a great deal to me personally and professionally, and I told her so. The odd thing was that Dorie, a perfectly stoic Minnesotan, just sat there stone-faced, occasionally nodding her head. All in all she looked rather blasé, like I was giving a dish-by-dish of every meal I’d eaten for a week. That’s okay, I remember thinking, I just want to make sure she knows how much I appreciate her contributions. Later, Dorie’s teammates told a different story. One stopped me in the hallway. “What did you say to Dorie?” he said. “She’s beaming from ear to ear and telling everyone about all the compliments you paid her.”

Praise sticks when it’s personal. Extend the life of your compliment by naming who the smooth moves helped, and why you appreciate it so much. Everyone likes to hear “Hey, nice work.” But to leave a tattoo like impression, try, “Wow, heck of a job. That really helped the team and our customers. Thanks for caring enough to make it happen.”

If nothing revs an employee’s motivational motor like positive strokes, why are bosses so miserly about handing them out? A recent Gallup Poll showed that 65 percent of workers received zero recognition for good work in the preceding year. I’ve rounded up seven of the usual suspects:

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