Creating a Culture of Binge Recognition
By | July 2, 2013
Esther Weinberg
The Hollywood Reporter shared that at a recent charitable dinner, actor Will McCormack confided to Sony Entertainment CEO Michael Lynton that he’d recently binged through a “Friday Night Lights” season in 4 days.
Welcome to the binge. Consumers now have the opportunity to watch multiple episodes of a series in one or many back-to-back viewings. Think Oreo cookie eating jam session in one swoop.
In a world where binge viewing has become the norm, wouldn’t it be great if you were part of an environment in which each person was providing praise and recognition on an on-going basis? Employees would literally be creating a tipping point of “binge recognition.”
Here are some strategies to get your binge recognition on:
1) Be Specific – When you give a thank you, use the following formula:
- Great – Outline in detail what the person was great at.
- Continue – Articulate what you want them to continue doing.
- What they want – How do they like to receive praise? (e.g. in front of others, or privately?)
- Match – Connect feedback to values – For example, if Sarah loves to help people, make sure the thanks ties in with how she like to help others. If Bob has a high value on information, show how his research tied with a great success.
- Brief – Give the praise, and make it succinct and heartfelt.
2) Match Praise to Goals – If Pamela did a great job in her recent presentation and getting better at organizing a stellar presentation was on her development goals, then your thank you should also tie in with what SHE wanted to achieve.
3) Create the Space to Say Thank You—and Make it Meaningful – Saying thank you in a crowded room with little time to give proper acknowledgment may not be the best place to give praise and gratitude. Try this instead:
- Acknowledge in Real Time – Waiting several weeks or months to acknowledge someone will prompt that person to think, “What are they talking about?” Or alternatively, “So happy they remembered!” Particularly in today’s multi-generational workforce, recognition in real time is a key factor in supporting your employees. It will keep them from leaving to go somewhere else.
4) Post positive comments from your clients on an internal blog or have a “Wall of Fame” at the office where client praise is posted.
5) Have 8-minute “huddle ups” each morning either in your department or with other departments to review the high-priority activities for the day. Within that time, give public praise to the stars that have been shining.
Reminder: Keep in mind cultural norms when giving gifts. Someone from India may see a thank you very different than someone from China or from Ethiopia.
Before long, praise will simply be seen as the norm, with every single person feeling valued and valuable. Wouldn’t that be a game changer?
(Esther Weinberg is a leadership expert and a cable veteran with a 20-year track record in the industry. She currently creates breakthrough strategies for such companies as ESPN, Microsoft, Scripps Networks, NBCUniversal Cable, Turner Broadcasting Systems, Inc., Motorola, Headline News Network and MTV Networks, among others. She is the contributing author to the leadership book “Breaking Through” by Barbara Stanny. Esther is a Board Member of NAMIC-Southern California, and a member of Women in Cable Telecommunications and the Cable and the Telecommunications Human Resources Association. Sign up for her FREE leadership blog at www.mindlightgroup.com. Follow Esther on Twitter @EstherWeinberg for updates on leadership, excellence, and creating compelling teams and cultures.)
