Fostering Recognition
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This is the fifth of a 2 week series outlining a different engaging question you can ask yourself each day. The questions are derived from the pyramid of employee engagement. Here is today’s question based on fostering recognition, the center block on the pyramid of employee engagement.
How will I recognize someone this week for their good work?
David Zinger developed the 10 block pyramid of employee engagement as a model to structure strong, simple, sustainable and tactical improvements in employee engagement.
Great questiong but it has to be answered with authenticity and integrity. It needs to be heart felt and worthy of recognition to be effective.
Well said Ron. Perhaps we should spell out criteria like authenticity and integrity for the asking and answering of all questions. Otherwise it can be just a shallow disengaging exercise.
Hi David!
I saw your pyramid questions showing up on the “guru” board. But I cheated. I went to the source and stacked four blocks, to see what I could build. Figured I should comment on the result here too! This is just my take, I ended up with a linear progression that works for me. But here’s what really caught my eye, on the front page-your call for simplicity starting with me and rippling out from there:
“Real work engagement is small, simple, strong, significant, and sustainable daily actions done in the service of good work for the benefit of all.”
So here I am on Friday. Time to recap what went on, what went well, what went not so well, and look ahead at what’s going to happen next week….
Top block: “What result do I really want from my work this week?” Set goals, emphasis on “what I really want”. When there’s plenty to choose from, the wanna items are the likely targets. Unless, of course, the boss has a hot item that defaults to the front of the list. Sometimes wanna gets trumped by gotta.
Second block: “What task is most worthy of my attention this week and what makes it worthy of my attention?” Prioritize! It’s all good, but what’s the hottest of the hot? And WHY are the hot so hot? This question keeps me mindful of the purpose behind the activity, very engaging.
Third block: “What can I do this week at work to heighten progress and minimize setbacks?” These are building blocks so looking at my hot items list only, what’s in the way? Target those barriers up-front so I can set the resolutions in motion ASAP and not lose time waiting later when the barriers escalate from speed bumps to show-stoppers.
Fourth block: “What can I do this week to build and strengthen one key relationship at work?” Personally, I feel this one is too often misunderstood. Engagement hinges on work relationships, operative word being “Work”. We’re not here to hang out and make friends. Once I have my act together, it’s time to reach out. But not before! Get my personal engagement act together before I recruit others to get the work done, the only way for a leader to act credibly and build solid work relationships.
Craig: Ironic. Just as I was writing a comment on Linked In about you flattening the pyramid you posted this. All the best with all of your work. David