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“Today’s leaders and managers are driven more by their fears than by their aspirations!”
Fear 1 - Customers only ever want to complain
The truth is that customers love to say “Thank you,” when they receive great service. It just has to be simple to do and in a way that gives front line people recognition from the most senior management. Unfortunately, most organisations only ever ask for complaints and so, naturally, all they ever receive are complaints.
Fear 2 - We have to micro-manage people to achieve the best result
Every time I ask people would they like to be micro managed or would they prefer to be given the responsibility, the resources and the support to do a good job, guess what their reply is?
Fear 3 - People only respond to the incentive of money or rewards
A survey of UK sales people conducted by Austin Benn, the leading brand in the recruitment of sales, marketing and financial market professionals, found that, “being respected is the single biggest motivator in all respondents, far more than money!” The key point here is not that being respected is the single biggest motivator, but that 100% of respondents answered this way.
Fear 4 - Softness is weakness
We have discovered that the most powerful tool at our disposal is the ability to say, “thank you”, provided that it is done in a sincere way. When that “thank you” comes from a customer and is delivered by senior management, the power is extraordinary. One employee at Haringey Council told us that, “Receiving this award after 33 years of working for the council has made it all worthwhile”, which is resounding proof that it isn't just about reward, it is also about recognition.
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It would be nice to think that we learn and progress with time. And then you hear a quote from Napoleon and wonder if there is really anything new,
“I can get people to die for a ribbon but can’t get them to die for money.”