W hen was the last time you heard the words "job well done"? Getting feedback that we have done our job effectively makes us feel good about our work and ourselves. Unfortunately, in many cases, recognition and reward are thought of as a function of management, flowing from supervisors at the top to employees at the bottom. With a team approach to acknowledgment, much like the bubbles in a glass of celebratory champagne, recognition and reward infuse the entire workplace with the sparkle of the extraordinary. Recognizing your practice teammates is not just a nicethingtodo; it is an essential step toward building a high-performing practice and creating a great working environment. When both team leaders and team members give and receive recognition, everybody wins! Create a Culture of Acknowledgement Acknowledging improvement and achievement is a vital component of successfully developing your team's level of performance. When you give honest praise, your coworkers know that you sincerely appreciate their efforts. The simple act of recognition takes almost no time at all, yet it provides long-lasting benefits. It also reinforces the behavior that is being acknowledged. We will most likely continue giving our best efforts when we feel that our effort is valued. People who feel appreciated are more positive about themselves and their ability to contribute. People with positive self-esteem are potentially your best team members. Create a "culture" of acknowledgement where team members know that they are important contributors to the overall success of your practice. By offering praise effectively, you can bring out the best in your teammates and reinforce their self-esteem even in difficult situations. Many times, the patients you are providing care for are not at their best behavior. This can be due to the level of pain or discomfort for which they are seeking relief, or simply from the stress that can be associated with the unfamiliar experience of visiting a chiropractor for the first time. Caring for patients can be stressful on caregivers as well. When a team member excels at a necessary but challenging task, such as assisting a difficult patient, you can help relieve stress and acknowledge his or her contribution with a few well-timed words of praise and recognition. Giving Recognition Helps Your Practice Teammates Take pride in the work they do Feel appreciated for their contributions Go the extra mile Heighten their level of commitment to the practice Be more open to constructive feedback Strive to perform at peak levels Promote a positive practice culture in which praise prevails Points to Remember When Giving Recognition When giving recognition, there are several useful tips to help ensure maximum effectiveness. Personalize your message and make your acknowledgement specific. What was it that the person you are praising did, in particular, that deserves recognition? When you have a specific action or behavior in mind, you can focus on it early in your conversation. Begin your conversation by letting the individual know why what he or she did was good. Then reinforce your message with how it is important to the whole practice. For example, "I overheard you convincing Mrs. Smith to come in for her visit today when she called to cancel. When patients stay on schedule, they get better results and that affects our reputation as a practice. Thank you!" Be timely with your acknowledgment by offering spontaneous and immediate recognition. When a team member performs positively, provide recognition and a thankyouon thespot. Since it's likely the person is already feeling good about his or her performance, your timely recognition will enhance those positive feelings. This, in turn, positively affects that person's confidence in his or her ability to do well in the future. When you offer recognition, remember not to ruin it by adding a "sting in the tail." You can take all of the benefits out of recognition when you say something such as, "Well done, but..." Give praise without constructive criticism; save the criticism for another time and let the receiver enjoy the feeling of accomplishment. It's also great to put recognition in writing—handwriting. It is not unusual to find a handwritten thank-you note pinned to the wall of a workstation years after it was written. If you send an e-mail recognition, copy (cc) the rest of the team when appropriate. You can increase the impact by making a public statement of your acknowledgment. Give praise when other team members can witness it. We are all social creatures and the respect of our peers is highly valuable reinforcement of our self-esteem. You can enhance the impact of recognition by presenting it at a team meeting or informal gathering. For those observing, it also provides an example of when and how to give recognition. Be careful with giving public recognition if your practice team is not currently in the habit of giving recognition. Start slowly and steadily, and consistently increase the amount of recognition. Some Quick and Easy Ideas for Recognition Here are several simple ideas for giving recognition and rewards: "Sticky" praise—use sticky notes to say thank you Create a "Bravo" bulletin board Give certificates of appreciation Feature an article about a team member in your practice's newsletter Keep a roll of Life Savers handy to give when someone is a real "lifesaver" with a special project or request Don't Let Recognition be Scarce Recognition can be scarce in a practice due to a combination of factors. The most common reason is that most of us were never taught how to provide recognition effectively. Be sincere with your acknowledgments. Rewards and recognition are only effective when your team has confidence in the basis of that praise. Acknowledge both individual and team efforts. For example, if an individual team member is recognized for exceeding a production expectation, anyone who helped achieve the goal should share in the glory. Recognizing only a single high performer may defeat or dissatisfy all of the other contributors. It is important to recognize all of the team members who contributed to a success equally. There are many sources of praise for your team, so keep your eyes and ears open. When a patient or other non-team member recognizes a person on your team, let that person know. Encourage your practice teammates to participate in the on-the-spot recognition of each other's efforts. Make acknowledgment part of the normal day-to-day activity of your practice. Its contribution to the development of your team and the long-term success of your practice cannot be overstated. Constantly be on the lookout for contributions to recognize. Let your practice's motto be, "We're always trying to catch each other doing something right!" Dr. Mark Sauna is a member of the Chimpractic Summit, the AC A Governor s Advisory Boani and a board member of the Foundation for Chiropractic Pmgress. He is the president and CEO of Breakthrough Coaching (www.mvbreakthmugh.com 1-800- 723-8423).
