2x Your Team Productivity in 30 Seconds with This
OK, so I’ve teased enough about the 5 Leadership Languages. Let’s get into what they are, and why they matter to you.
Everyone appreciates recognition for their work. We all know this. No one’s going to be upset if you tell them they did a great job.
However, some people need to hear the Leadership Language of “Recognition” far more than the others. People are different, right?
For some, recognition is like oxygen. Without it, they wither and die.
If you lead someone who needs to hear regular words of recognition, but you rarely acknowledge their contribution, you’re sucking the lifeblood out of them and other creepy, over-the-top metaphors.
Alright, enough with the colorful writing. Bottom line is, they’ll feel unappreciated, frustrated and resentful. You’ll lose their respect and trust, and then... good luck keeping them around.
Now, some leaders find it tiresome or unnecessary to express appreciation to their team members. One leader said to me, “I already pay them to do a job. Do I really have to thank them as well?”
Well, no, if you’re secretly trying to get rid of them. In that case, hold back the gratitude. Throw in a little thoughtless criticism now and then. Maybe cut their salary a bit. When they question this, wink and say, “You’re worth it.”
But if you want to actually, like... keep them around and have them be useful and stuff… then yes, you do have to say a few words every now and then to acknowledge their achievements.
I mean, it’s not like it’s even difficult.
“You did a great job!”
“Thank you for all the time you put into this... I know it was a lot.”
“Well done... you didn’t blow it this time!”
OK, I’m not sure the last one counts. My point is, these things cost you nothing to say and yet produce a big return on investment.
Your people will feel appreciated, it can motivate them to do more… and it contributes to the well-being of the team.
To make this even more powerful, share what you saw each team member achieve or contribute, and what it meant to you or the team.
Now, before you start praising them for every little thing (“Hey, well done for turning up on time to work today, you’re awesome!”)… a word of caution.
If you’ve been pretty ungenerous with recognition before, and then all of a sudden you’re heaping on the praise… they might feel, umm, suspicious, like you’re softening them up for tons of overtime or something.
More importantly, not every team member needs or even wants this kind of recognition.
Instead, some may be more motivated by a leader who is focused on exposing the gaps in their performance, as a way to help them improve. These people need to hear the Leadership Language of “Feedback.”
Receiving genuine feedback is far more useful for these team members because it’s something they can take action on to make progress… and they may feel it’s a better use of their time than having to listen to you praising them for doing their job.
This is why it’s important to find out what fuels your team. What Leadership Languages do they need to hear the most?
Have them take the quiz... and within 5 minutes, you’ll find out what motivates them.
In the next post, I’ll reveal the second Leadership Language you need to know about.
