It is important for individual contributions to be recognized, so that constituencies feel that what they have contributed is valuable. People need encouragement when working long hours toward completion of important group goals. Kouzes and Posner noted that the ability to recognize the contributions of others is a highly desirable attribute in leaders. Here are some of the essentials for recognizing the contributions of individuals (Kouzes & Posner, 1997):
- “Building self-confidence through high expectations” (p. 271) – help create a self-fulfilling prophecy by giving people a reputation they must then live up to;
- “Connecting performance and rewards” (p. 275) – leaders help people know what is expected of them, provide feedback on performance and reward those who are judged to meet the standards;
- Using a variety of rewards (p. 278) – intrinsic rewards within the context of the job such as challenge and recognition should be balanced with extrinsic rewards such as compensation packages and positional power;
- “Being positive and hopeful” (p. 283).
Each of these techniques offers a new dimension for bolstering the worth of individuals. Although rewarding through the recognition of contributions does not preclude giving financial rewards, the thrust is to provide non-monetary recognitions due to their often-greater value in motivation.
Reference
Kouzes, J.M., & Posner, B.Z. (1997).
The leadership challenge (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
1 comment:
I like this idea, because I think it is important recognize everyone that works with you, otherwise if they start think what they do is meaningless they will start to look elsewhere.
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