daniel chigunweDr Nick In our last week’s column “Praise looks good on you” we dealt with the importance of recognising and praising the people around us both at work and at home.
This week, we want to look into the aspect of appreciation and compensation.
Famous management writer Rosabeth Moss Kantor once said “Compensation is a right. Recognition is a gift”; in other words, when one is doing or has done an excellent job, appreciating them with some form of compensation is their right.
Even Jesus craved appreciation when he healed the 10 lepers. “When one of them saw that he was healed, he came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself on the ground and at Jesus’s feet and thanked him.
The man was a Samaritan. Jesus spoke up, “There were 10 who were healed, where are the other nine? Why is this foreigner the only one who came back to give thanks to God?”
And Jesus said to him, “Get up and go; your faith has made you well” Luke17: 15-19.
Jesus spoke against the ungratefulness of the other nine and rewarded the Samaritan with total healing. The reason is that a job well done deserves to be rewarded.
Compensation should never be a burden neither should we make it a gift. Here is a quick test to help us understand how we are doing in the aspect of appreciation and compensation.
Let us start with the questions: Have you appreciated the work of others lately? Has the value of your own work been appreciated? Over the last week, have you done any of the following?
Told someone they have done a good job.
Looked specifically to find someone doing something well.
Made someone else look good rather than taking the credit yourself.
Thanked others for your own success.
Passed on positive comments you have heard about others.
These are simple examples of the things we need to do regularly to acknowledge the good work of others.
You may say, “If it that easy, why do more people not do it?” There are many reasons, but they all fall into two categories – personal and organisational.
On a personal level, many of us are not comfortable giving praise. We may be awkward about it, or believe that people are paid to do a job, so why do we have to praise them?
From an organisational perspective, it may be the culture that is holding us back, or technology preventing us from valuing the work of others. For example, technology has changed the way many of us operate.
Email or Zoom may have replaced personal interaction, so we no longer see what others do well. Out of sight is out of mind, so how can we praise good work if we do not see it?
Here are six ways we can put praise for a job well done back into our working lives:
Look for things people do well and acknowledge them for their good work.
Be a model of acknowledgement – show others it is OK to give praise.
Have a conversation with a colleague about how to give praise for work well done.
When people have performed above the norm, write them a small thank you note (not email – you will be amazed at the positive response).
Encourage others to thank one another and pass on stories of good work to your manager.
Work to create a culture of appreciation – make acknowledgment part of your daily routine.
Finally, to get the ball rolling, pass this article on to your wife, children, and colleagues as an introduction on how we can encourage others to give more praise.
The essential point is that praise must be frequent and given locally (by family, friends, colleagues, and managers).
It should not be seen as a corporate initiative or programme only, but merely “The way we do things around here”.
What has not been said so far, is that praise must be genuine, appreciation must be real, and compensation must be deserved. People in general are particularly good at spotting insincerity.
When you praise someone, make sure it is for the good work they have done and not just for the sake of it.
A final word of warning. Many organisations turn acknowledgement into an event. They distort it with extrinsic motivators (such as money) and taint it with internal competition.
Giving praise for a job well done is just that – simple. We do not have to wait for a birthday, end of year, retirement party or bonus time in November to acknowledge and appreciate someone for doing a good job.
Find someone doing something good today and simply tell them what a good job they have done. Tap people on the shoulder occasionally to make sure they are still alive!
Dr Nick Ohizu is the senior pastor of The Empowerment Ministries and The President of the Empowerment School of Wealth both located in Graniteside Harare. He is a successful entrepreneur with vast experience in leadership, mentorship, business and marriage consultancy with a mandate from God to change lives and bless people.
He can be contacted on 0772304917.
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