Donadio's PowerTools For Success - PowerTool Number Four

D O N A D I O PowerTools For Success ™

A - Appreciation

The D O N A D I O PowerTools ™ are seven skills that will help you manage better and operate a successful business.

In this article let's explore how to unleash and harness motivation using Appreciation

	D	Delegate
	O	Open Communications
	N	Need for Creativity
	A	Appreciation
	D	Develop Teamwork
	I	Interest
	O	Organize/Plan

Appreciation is a tool some people take for granted. It is always easier to find what people are doing wrong. Appreciation (or recognition) is a great tool if you know how to use it effectively.

Everyone needs to feel appreciated. Appreciation (recognition) works best when done individually and often. It produces results but doesn't last very long (just like Chinese food). Annual award programs are good, but you'll need to develop other ways to recognize your people on a regular basis. Here's how you can use appreciation to increase your people's effectiveness:

1. Do It immediately. Timing is an important element when showing appreciation. When people do something worth recognizing, praise them as close to the time it happened as possible.

2. Tie appreciation to specific actions. The more specific and personal your recognition the more effective it will be. Instead of generically saying "Good Job" be more specific and say "I really appreciated the way you handled that difficult customer and saved the sale".

3. Use a variety of techniques. Employees are motivated by "their needs not yours". Know your people and tailor rewards to meet their needs. People are like snow flakes, no two are alike. So use a variety of techniques - i.e.: specific verbal praises; written notes or letters; opportunities for further training; a friendly good morning; incentives - like entertainment coupons or gift certificates; employee of the month awards; holiday parties or perhaps the day off for their birthday.

4. Do it in public. Share positive feedback in public as often as possible and always give negative feedback in private. Try saying positive things about people "behind their backs". When they hear good things you've said from someone else, it builds trust and adds credibility to the compliment.

5. Be sincere. Do it in a "sincere" way and share how you feel about it. Make an extra effort to draw attention to your appreciation - keep it brief, shake their hand with confidence, say it in a genuine way, use their name often and avoid being too melodramatic.

Try to teach others how to look for the positive. We all need to be working together. The secret to building a good team is for people to support and help each other. Our next tool, PowerTool Number 5 - Develop Teamwork, will teach us how to foster and develop a team.