Strategy #42: Promote “world-class buddy thanking”

In my presentations, I sometimes ask for show of hands by people who have back trouble because they get patted on the back so often. Lots of people laugh, but very few raise their hands.People who wait for attaboy recognition from the boss often end up waiting a very long time. So how do we cultivate an organization where people feel appreciated for their work? One way is to promote what professional speaker Brian Biro calls “world-class buddy thanking.” This means that we all get into the habit of thanking people who help us get our work done.

At Central Peninsula General Hospital the Spark Plug group purchased a supply of lapel pins that look like light bulbs, upon which are inscribed the words, “Way to Glow.” When they see somebody doing something right, they give that person a Way to Glow pat on the back and a pin.  The idea is that people should not hang onto their pins, but rather find somebody else deserving of one, and pass it along. Eventually, I expect that everyone who works at CPGH will have a pin.

There are lots of other ways that you can recognize your people.  John Rossfeld, CEO of Gila Regional Medical Center in Silver City, New Mexico put his entire management team on a bus for the 11-hour ride to San Diego to attend the annual conference of the Planetree Alliance.  He was recognizing them for the accomplishments featured in David Dibble’s book The New Agreements in the Workplace. As another example, Auto-Owners Insurance uses photographs taken by associates as the artwork in their buildings across the country. Literally hundreds of associates have experienced the pride of recognition in seeing their artwork displayed as if on a museum wall. What can you do to promote “world-class buddy thanking” in your organization?

“People do not work for the Auto-Owners insurance company.  They are a part of the company. For our company is a team. You don't hear people say ‘I work for a team,’ but rather they say, ‘I'm part of the team.’ It's the same with our company. Like any great organization, Auto-Owners is nothing more than a group of people working together as a team to serve their customers, and to support each other.”

Roger Looyenga (with Joe Tye): Take the Stairs: A Lifetime of Lessons in Learning to Lead

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