Leadership - 12 Ways To Tell Your People They're Important

There's an old saying" "Your actions shout so loud Ithe same thing as being liked. It is nice to be liked, it is
can't hear what you're saying."absolutely essential that your people trust and respect
Many managers feel constrained by the rules andyou. As a comedian said: "If you want to be liked, get a
regulations of their organizations. They feel that theirdog."
hands are tied when it comes to rewarding theirWay #8 - Cultivate a climate of civility for your people.
people - that their actions are controlled by others, andIn your relationships with your people, ensure your
there is little of any real value they can do to motivateactions and theirs reflect a fundamental respect for
their people. Leaders understand that recognition andeach other, and for all the others they come in contact
reward applied on a one on one level is essential towith.
success.Way #9 -Get everyone of your people some form of
They understand the greatest sense ofself development activity on a regular basis. It may be
accomplishment and importance often comes froma seminar, it may be tuition refund, it may be a book, it
non - monetary actions and rewards, and frommay be a CD set, it may be a Community College
positive recognition from the person who is the boss.course - it does not have to be expensive and time
What are the ways to make your people know theyconsuming, but the act of creating added value through
are important?the investment of personal effort supported by
Way #1 - You have to believe the work performed byorganizational resources is a powerful way to say you
your people is important. This may sound pretty basic,care.
but if you do not really believe that, there is simply noWay #10 - Respect your people's time - it's their most
way you can convince your people that what they dovaluable asset. Start meetings on time, end them on
is important.. How often have your heard - or beentime, keep meeting commitments. Do what you have
guilty of saying - or thinking - "Oh, she's just theto do to ensure your people have access to as much
receptionist" or, "He's just the janitor" or "They're justof their work time as possible.
trainees" or "They're just a staff weenie"?Way #11- Keep the rules and policies to an absolute
Way #2 - Expect the best from everyone, and settleminimum. If you have a workable set of cultural and
for nothing less. Nothing makes people feel moreorganizational "Way's Of Doing Things" you have the
important than high expectations for their performance.basis for treating your people with individual regard. If
Just make sure they share in setting the expectations.you have managers that are not comfortable doing
Way #3 - Create goals that are shared and thatthat, either they change or get different managers
show the tie in of individual work with the success ofWay #12- Celebrate all the successes - create the
the organization.opportunity for group recognition to happen all over the
Way #4 - Select the best - in every opening youplace - if Safety is an issue, create a Safety Award
have. Use every tool you can to ensure that you haveprocess that celebrates progress.Make the events
made a good decision on who you select.. Yourfrequent, and the rewards modest - but do it all the
people watch carefully to see who you pick - involvetime. Frequency of awards and the opportunity for
them in the selection process. If your actionscelebration are as important, actually more important,
communicate that you are not careful about who youthan the annual lunch or dinner or whatever. Make it
select, your people will see that as a direct reflectionfun. Make it part of your enterprise.
on themselves.Did you notice one thing about all 12 Ways? Not one
Way #5 - Make sure you are your people's institutionalof them deals with lots of money, or more capital, or
champion! What's that mean? When their pay isnew policies or procedures. All do require beliefs and
wrong, you act to get it right. When their reviews arebehaviors - and they are the most challenging, most
scheduled, you act to ensure they are done accuratelyhigh leverage efforts we can make to improve our
and on time. When their raises are due, you make sureorganizations. It's always tempting to do a feel good
they are handled properly and on time. Jealously guardseminar, or buy something - or take some action that
your relationship as the go to person for your people -shows just how committed we are. But the truth is
the institutional support people can help, but you are thethat the way to greater success is through a focused,
person you want your people to seek out.day to day effort to improve the level of commitment
Way #6- Be absolutely intolerant of unsafe, disruptiveof the people in an organization, and that takes hard
or other negative behaviors. Act on them quickly andwork and the acceptance of change.
decisively, and never let your people see youIf you can see Ways that can help you organization or
knowingly ignore a bad situation. It will not go away,your work group or yourself in this article, take them
regardless how much "wish'in and hop'in and pray'in"and run with them - they are the basis for successful
you might do.managers becoming successful leaders.
Way #7 - Remember that trust and respect are not