Get Hits And Be A Hit!

When most people think of compensation, myself included, our minds go straight to the “cha-ching” sound of an old school cash register with visions of dollar signs dancing in our heads. For good reason, bills, inflation and the kids’ activities seem to be playing ‘Hungry Hippos’ with the family finances (pardon the reference to my childhood). Living costs are real and unless your job helps you meet your responsibilities, that job will soon become a source of stress in your life, your compensation is very important. Unfortunately this article isn’t about increasing monetary compensation for you or those who you work with, it is to reveal to you another type of compensation equally important to your team, gratitude.

Mark Twain once famously said he could “live for two months on a good compliment.” If you find this hard to believe, at your next opportunity, give someone at work a sincere compliment. The more personal the presentation the better. Meaning, email carries the least amount of weight to the receiver. Just walk right up to them and say, “You know, I really appreciate that you…” and fill in the blank and watch them glow. This behavior will be seen as exceptional and greatly appreciated by your target mainly because a simple, “thank you” is such a rare thing at work. Patrick King in his book, ‘The Science of Likeability’ writes that you may be 100% of a person’s compliments for the day. For this reason your diligence about recognition and celebration is critical to your success as a leader because it is the high octane fuel that keeps your team working at a high level.

Former AVIS CEO and Author, Robert Townsend shared with us in his New York Times best seller ‘Up The Organization’ that compliments are a seriously neglected form of compensation. Too often we take care of the financial end of the compensation package and assume everything is complete. Only by half. Compensation keeps your people coming to work, gratitude inspires them to be better while at work. Psychologists refer to the Rule of Reciprocity where people have a need to return the type of treatment given to them. Trish McFarlane, VP and Principal Analyst for Human Resources at the Brandon Hall Group says of compliments, "The effect is a strenghtening of the overall relationship, with both parties feeling heard and valued."

This article is meant to share with you a tool I use that will help enhance your compensation package and will motivate your team to rally. What I am proposing is a series of compliments that escalate in intensity for the receiver and results in a culture of goodwill that supports everyone performing at their best. Using a baseball parallel of Bunts, Bloopers and Bombs, you can get your people to want to be their best at work. Let’s get into it.

Bunts are a low impact way to get on base or move a runner into scoring position. Not impressive but effective. A ‘bunt’ at work would be the small kudos you can share with anyone at any time for nearly anything and while it won’t knock anyone off their feet they will appreciate that you noticed. “Thank you… Good job… Way to go… Well done… etc.” If you’re not looking for bunts in every conversation you are neglecting your team and definitely are not getting the best out of them. This can be done verbally, on a ‘thank you’ card or memo/email and should be done with frequency.

Bloopers are hits that go just beyond the infield but just short of the outfielders. While these hits usually result in the batter reaching first base, runners already on base can advance more and sometimes score. Bloopers are competence based compliments that point to something specific the employee accomplished. These types of compliments trigger the reward centers of the brain that activate when you get things done. “I know it wasn’t easy but you… Coordinating a number of agendas is a huge challenge and you… That presentation was a hit because you… etc.” Bloopers are best delivered in the presence of the team but can be done individually and should be given at least once a month or as you accomplish important tasks to various members of the team.

Bombs is a definite score for the batter but it also brings others home. Also known as, home runs, bombs are your opportunity to score with people and everyone they know. A bomb is a values based compliment that speaks to things people think about themselves. For example if you have someone who values their character, you might say, “This team is made better because we have you as an example to follow.” Similar statements can be made for those who see themselves as honest, generous or intelligent. The only thing here is, the group must agree that this is a quality the target possesses because a bomb must be given in front of the team. The impact is wide because these are the compliments people share with those close to them. Bombs should be shared at significant moments for your team.

I can hear you from here, “I would do it but my team doesn’t give me much to celebrate”. To that I would say you need to look harder. Our cognitive biases ensure that we find whatever we are looking for, if you want to find something to celebrate you will find it. Consider the gratitude walk where you take a short mental or actual walk through your life and say thank you for all you have to be thankful for. Look for five things, I promise you will find twenty. The same with your team.

There are also health benefits to playing ball. Debbie Clason, staff writer for Healthy Hearing writes, “Scientists believe giving and receiving compliments provides a variety of health benefits, including strengthening your immune system, increasing productivity, and decreasing levels of stress, pain and insomnia.”

Each day, wake up, get yourself ready for work, drive to the office and just before you get out of the car look into the mirror and say to yourself, “I am Pete Rose, Charlie Hustle” and get as many hits as you can. Set a goal to touch the lives of everyone at work at least once a week, bunts are easy to get. You and your team will live a longer, stronger life, get more done at work, suffer less frustration with each other and your team will SOAR!

http://www.brandonhall.com/blogs/compliments-they-can-lead-to-more-engaged-employees/ 

https://www.healthyhearing.com/report/52718-That-s-a-nice-compliment-you-re-not-hearing

http://www.incentivemag.com/Strategy/Ask-the-Experts/Roy-Saunderson/Top-10-Ways-to-Compliment-and-Appreciate-Your-Employees/

William A Brown

December 1, 2018

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