Recognition. All to frequently managers take good things in stride as if they deserved success rather than appreciating each and every step along way. These are same people who are too busy to stop and say thank you for a job well done. Sadly, their actions send a message to all around them that what ever they did to help achieve this success was not as important as “problem” they are addressing now. Lighten up. If you really want to foster a positive attitude, “Thank you” is least you should do. If you really want to foster a positive attitude and enhance productivity, then recognize people and their talents even before you involve them in an assignment. People tend to rise to your expectations. If you don’t have any expectations of they are low, output you get will probably match your expectation. Recognition at conclusion of a successful project is equally important. People love success and they love recognition for their efforts. They want to savor it and more success and recognition they get, more they want. Why would any manager in his right mind not want to develop same desire in his employees? Celebrate every success and foster right attitude for next success. Most managers hire for positive attitude in an effort to develop an outstanding performer and enhance success of their endeavor. Very few, however, are willing to devote time and effort it takes to really follow through in a positive way to foster positive attitudes and create right environment for success. If results are important and attitude is important, then we need to take time to do it right.

ã Copyright Bob Cannon/The Cannon Advantage, 2003. All rights reserved.

Byline Bob Cannon helps visionary leaders make decisions that gain a competitive advantaget. Check out other interesting articles available in Taking Aim newsletter available at www.cannonadvantage.com . Bob can be reached at (216) 408-9495 or mailto: bob@cannonadvantage.com

This article courtesy of http://www.cannonadvantage.com. You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice and author name and URL remain intact.

Not only do groups make better decisions, but once agreed to, decisions are far easier to implement and have much greater likelihood of success. More and more research points to advantages of group engagement and decision-making. It is no longer a matter of why you should adopt a high engagement strategy with your people to gain agility, but rather how to implement this process.

Roadway is a trucking company that is currently implementing a high engagement strategy in their organization with some tremendous successes. Their approach includes three elements and may very well be model for other organizations. The three elements of their program are: 1.) Education, 2.) Tools, 3.) High Engagement.

First, Roadway is spending a lot of time educating their people about business. They have adopted much of thinking from Jack Stack’s book, “The Great Game of Business.” The key is to help their employees understand financials of business and how they affect numbers. Second, they have trained their people in basic principles of LEAN so that they can evaluate current processes and procedures and have a basis for making changes that will positively affect bottom line. Finally, they have adopted and use a positive approach to achieving “High Engagement.” Rather than focusing on problems in company, they have chosen to look at strengths of company and build on those strengths using David Coopperrider’s 4D model for positive change.

The results at Roadway have been impressive. There are many stories of success at individual terminals that are now being shared across company and in meantime just one of measures they use has recorded a $10 million improvement over last 4 years. Roadway is rapidly developing Agility to help them face a very competitive and rapidly changing world. Without it, they would most likely not have survived.

ã Copyright Bob Cannon/The Cannon Advantage, 2003. All rights reserved.

Byline Bob Cannon helps visionary leaders make decisions that gain a competitive advantaget. Check out other interesting articles available in Taking Aim newsletter available at www.cannonadvantage.com . Bob can be reached at (216) 408-9495 or mailto: bob@cannonadvantage.com

This article courtesy of http://www.cannonadvantage.com. You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice and author name and URL remain intact.