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Watch Your Language
The Power of Positive Communication in Employee Engagement
What if I told you that creating
a highly engaged culture in the
workplace comes down to just
two words? Here’s a hint: these
are the words that you have
been hearing since you were a
child and they are still just as
relevant today.
Did you guess “thank you?” Yes,
these two words truly make a
difference. When someone says
“thank you,” they are giving you
a gift. When you say, “It was
nothing,” you are rejecting that
gift. STOP IT! Start completing
the cycle of appreciation by
saying “you’re welcome” or “my
pleasure.” When you change
your language, you change your
level of employee engagement.
During a workshop I presented
for a utility department, we
did one of my very favorite
employee engagement activities
that I like to call “Lisa Ryan’s
soon to be famous “Thank you
– You’re welcome” exercise.
Here’s how it works - partners
sitting next to each other go
back and forth with “thank you,”
“you’re welcome” three times
and then switch.
By being made aware of the
language they were using, these
guys began to understand the
power THEY had to make a
difference. They committed to
holding each other accountable.
Do you think it lasted? Yes! Six
months later, when this client
invited me back to present
another program, the manager
told me he still saw the results.
Language matters.
Remember,
what
gets
recognized
gets
repeated.
By focusing on bad behavior
exclusively, guess what you’ll
get more of! If you want good
behavior, recognize when your
employees do things well. Now,
I am not telling you to accept
mediocrity – “Yea, you only came
in 15 minutes late today – good
job!’ No, catch your employees
doing things right.
Here are key tips to applaud and
acknowledge the efforts of your
staff:
1.
Follow the Platinum
Rule
. Recognize your team
members in the way THEY
want to be recognized. Some
people love public praise;
others don’t. If you’re not sure
– ASK.
By Lisa Ryan
SOAR TO SUCCESS
/
N
ovember
2016
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Business Acceleration Strategies