I overheard a coworker yesterday and it made me start thinking about some things I hear all too often. How many times have you heard “I do 99 things right and all I hear about is the one thing I did wrong”?  I am fortunate that the current and former managers I have worked for are spectacular about recognizing the accomplishments of the people working for them.  Unfortunately, I was not always so lucky.  I have also worked for individuals in the past that you never heard from unless you made an error.  Aside from my personal experiences, I have heard from many other that have similar stories.  “I work hard all day but only hear about it when I do something wrong”.  Employees that receive positive feedback will strive to excel.  When all you receive is negative feedback you will do just enough to not get in trouble.

 

I want to put forth a challenge to all members of management to start recognizing the 99 things that their employees do right.  For some members of management this will come easy as it is something they already do. For others it may be a challenge but hopefully one they can learn from.  The challenges modern employees face today are much greater than we have faced in the past and morale is declining.  Something as simple as an email or mention of an accomplishment in a meeting can mean so much to the morale of an employee.  When you attribute a positive attribute to someone they will continue to try to make sure you always see them in that light.  Errors and performance issues must still be addressed but tempered with positive feedback you are far more likely to strive to do better.

 

Address the one but Recognize the 99.

 

Attribute positive attributes to someone and they will strive to reach them