During our recent People Report Workforce Symposium, more
famously known as Summer Camp , there were a lot of discussions
about how individuals and companies are faring and feeling, as they
come out of this unprecedented recession. I would describe
the mood as "timid optimism". It has been politically
incorrect to be openly upbeat for so long that most people either
have survivor's guilt, or they are still waiting for the other shoe
to drop. So when Chester Elton, the bestselling author and
Carrot Culture guru took the symposium stage, I wondered how his
message of recognition and appreciation would be received. I
didn't have to wonder for long.
In between throwing toy
carrots, handing out books, and making us laugh hysterically,
Chester cited study after study, statistic after statistic, very
clearly painting a picture of our current workplaces. We've
all seen them. Taking into account margin for error, at least
half of us, and maybe as many as two-thirds of us, intensely
dislike our jobs, and are actively plotting our exits. The
pre-conference survey that Chester did of the audience wasn't much
different. Biggest reason we feel that way - lack of
recognition and appreciation. Surprised? More reason
for concern, most of those surveys are conducted at the management
and executive level. If that's how we feel - how do we think
our hourly employees are feeling? (By the way, service sector
employers need a lot of hourly workers; foodservice alone needs
almost 13 million of them.)
More statistics from the
Apostle of Appreciation - companies with happy workers perform
better. We have all seen these studies too. The folks
at the Great Places to Work Institute have been
measuring business outcomes for years. People Report data confirms
the connection - our Best Practices winners consistently have
stronger sales and better financial health than their
competitors. I watched the audience at Summer Camp respond to
Chester - they are ready to try something new.
If you are running a business
today, and you honestly believe that the only recognition your
employees need is a paycheck - you better ban Chester, his
disciples, and especially his new book, "The Orange Revolution". It's
coming soon to a workplace near you. We propose a better idea
though - why not start your own appreciation revolution today? Your
employees, your customers and your shareholders will thank
you.