Recognition - A Quick, Low-cost Way to Motivate Employees
Recognizing good performance through praise or other positive action is one of the simplest and most cost-effective ways to motivate people. It provides three major benefits:
- It lets people know that their performance was valued, and increases the likelihood that they will continue to perform well.
- It builds confidence so that people are willing to try new things, and develop further in their jobs.
- It leads to greater job satisfaction which in turn builds commitment to the manager and the employer.
Don’t underestimate the need people have for recognition. Any occasion when recognition could have been given but wasn’t, for whatever reason, is a missed opportunity. Here are four ways to encourage good performance:
Direct Praise. Give a subordinate a direct compliment for good performance.
Example: “John, you did a great job of dealing with that travel agent this morning. She was being difficult, but you stayed very calm.”
Earshot. Tell someone else about a subordinate’s
