[cs_content][cs_element_section _id=”1″ ][cs_element_row _id=”2″ ][cs_element_column _id=”3″ ][cs_text]Published on CNBC.com June 19, 2019
If you go to work every day just going through the motions, you aren’t alone.
According to Gallup, only 33% of employees are engaged at work.
So, how can nearly 70% of the workforce be disengaged?
I believe it’s because there is a tremendous lack of recognition in the world today, or what I call the global recognition deficit. And there are statistics to prove it.
According to OC Tanner research:
• 79% of employees who quit their jobs claim that a lack of appreciation was a major reason for leaving
• 65% of Americans claimed they weren’t even recognized one time last year
My company, David Novak Leadership, fielded national research and found even more evidence for the lack of recognition in the workplace:
• 82% of employees feel their supervisor doesn’t recognize them for what they do
• 60% say they are more motivated by recognition than money
If leaders give their people the recognition they’ve earned, show genuine appreciation and acknowledge the unique things people have to offer and do, then they will drive significantly better results. At the same time, they will lift the spirits of everyone involved, including themselves, and create a positive energy that becomes contagious and creates a ripple effect across the organization.
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So why aren’t more people using the power of recognition in the workplace?
For one, people aren’t using purposeful recognition. In order for recognition to drive results, it has to be earned. And the team has to know how to earn it. Therefore, bosses have to clearly define what they recognize and how it links to performance outcomes. When they do this, it becomes a catalyst for driving results. This is called purposeful recognition.
Second, there are all kinds of barriers that hold people back from recognition. And trust me, I heard them all when I launched the recognition culture at Yum! Brands.
Bosses need to learn how to overcome the barriers to recognition, which will help them become a leader with an engaged team that drives positive results.
Former Yum Brands CEO David Novak | Yum! Brands
“The last thing any of us want is for people to think they could get recognized just for showing up to work. That’s why making recognition purposeful is the breakthrough leaders need to get the results they want.”
Barrier #1: Giving recognition isn’t natural, it’s awkward
The more your boss recognizes someone’s good work, the more he or she gets comfortable with it. Plus, when he or she sees the impact the praise has, it creates motivation to stick with it.
Barrier #2: Fear people will expect to be recognized for everything
This could be a problem if your boss doesn’t have purposeful recognition. Leaders need to identify goals and essential behaviors that will lead to those results, and then recognize the heck out of those behaviors.
The last thing any of us want is for people to think they could get recognized just for showing up to work. That’s why making recognition purposeful is the breakthrough leaders need to get the results they want.
David Novak presents YUM! Recognition award to Yuan Yuan Chen, Director of Finance -Yum! China Division
Barrier #3: There is no time to recognize
The time bosses spend on recognition is one of the best investments they can make. By building recognition into their daily routine, it will become more natural for them over time. Recognition just becomes the way they do things, rather than an add on.
In fact, it will actually make them more productive because their employees will want to help them.
I’ve seen purposeful recognition work on a grand scale with people from different walks of life all around the world. It was the key to my success at Yum! Brands and I think it can be the key to others success as well.
—By David Novak, co-founder and retired chairman of Yum! Brands and the co-founder and CEO of David Novak Leadership, a digital leadership platform. He is also a bestselling leadership book author. His books include The New York Times bestseller Taking People With You, The Education of an Accidental CEO and his 2016 parable, O GREAT ONE! A Little Story About the Awesome Power of Recognition. Follow him on Twitter at @DavidNovakOGO.
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