Try a Little Praise
Struggling to get employees motivated in your business? Perhaps a little praise can help increase workplace morale. That's the suggestion of John Doherty, who has worked with a variety of employees during his career as a renowned New York City chef.
While a restaurant and a ranch may seem like vastly different places, Doherty says the principles that motivate people are still the same.
Doherty says instead of being checkpoint Charlie — pointing out what's wrong — find the things that are being done right and praise people for it. From his own experience in doing this, he says, "The next day I see faces change; new attitudes. It's contagious, people want to be recognized for what they do."
Doherty says that this does not mean you ignore what employees do wrong, you simply address mistakes in a different way. Doherty puts the employee in the decision-making role. He explains, "I ask what's wrong with the particular situation and how we might fix it for the future."
As a result, Doherty says the employee evaluates his own work, seeks a solution and in the end feels good about being part of that solution. He adds, "Asking them how they want to get something done is more important than me telling them how I want it done" — it makes them feel like part of the business.
Doherty emphasizes that this communication process should be done respectfully. "Do it in private and let them evaluate the situation."
Overall, Doherty acknowledges that these steps can take a little more time as you work with employees, but in the end he says, "Rewarding good behavior will change your life. When you tap into the people around you and let them be part of the solutions, you get better results."
Editor's Note: Chef Doherty spoke at the 2010 National Angus Conference & Tour in Bozeman, Mont., Sept. 15. For coverage or to listen to his presentation, visit www.nationalangusconference.com, Angus Productions Inc.'s (API's) meeting coverage site, or the video page at www.angus.org.
[Click here to go to the top of the page.]