Leading a Cluster of Equals 3: Recognition

Hand in hand with Achievement goes Recognition for that achievement.  There’s a right way and a wrong way to recognize good performance.  The problem is that it’s different for every individual.  This is another situation for you to use your analytical skills to learn how to do it right.

There are many systems on the market that can help you to understand how your fellow workers think, True Colors, Myers-Briggs, DiSC, to name a few.  They each have different strengths and I don’t want to recommend one over the other.  The critical similarity among all of them is that they all measure differences in personalities.

One of the mistakes that many people make, especially people like us who tend to be better at analyzing things, rather than people, is that we tend to assume that everyone thinks the same as we do.  In fact, what we discover when we study these personality type indicators is that people think very differently from one another.

The way we gather information and make decisions, the way we perceive patterns and details, the way we feel about interacting with people, are all functions of our own, unique personality.  There is no wrong personality type, but each may be better suited to different situations.  And the way you deal with someone should be tailored to both the situation and that person’s personality type.

This begs the question.   How do you determine someone’s personality type?  One possibility is to have them take a test.  This might work if you have a long running project with a stable team.  Everyone needs to agree with it, though.  If someone feels that the test invades their privacy, the benefits will be diminished.

There is another possibility if testing isn’t an option.  You can become a student of personality types and categorize your colleagues through observation.  Does this sound Machiavellian?  Well, maybe so.  But if you can help people to get along better and be more productive, is it that bad?

Becoming a personality-type expert will require some time and thought.  But there are plenty of instructional books and videos to help you; and besides, your ability to analyze and learn is your strong suit.  Soon you will find that you understand the actions of your colleagues.  That doesn’t mean that you will like what they do any more.  But you will understand why they do it.  And that gives you the possibility to influence behavior.

So, how can you put this new observational skill to use when recognizing the achievement of one of your colleagues?  First of all we need to review the universal tenants of good recognition practice.  One, it must happen quickly after the event.  Delays are a killer.  Seek the person out.  Don’t wait until the next meeting.

Two, be specific.  Point out exactly what good came out of the action that the individual performed; and more specifically, what impact it had on you.  The more personal you can make it, the better.  Specificity is critical.  If you tell the colleague they’re great, they’re just going to think you’re blowing smoke; you’re better off keeping your trap shut in that case.

All right, now what about those personality types?  You want to recognize someone’s achievement?  Don’t wait; act now.  The two of you are just getting ready to go into a team meeting.  Do you tell him now, privately, in the hall, or do you wait and announce it after the whole team has showed up?

The answer is, it depends.  It depends on that person’s personality type.  Is he an extrovert?  If so, he’ll enjoy the reaction of the crowd.  So wait until the team shows up.  If not, then pull him aside now and tell him quietly that when he took that call while you were in a meeting, it saved you two hours of work.

You can continuously recognize achievements by keeping good track of the action items that come up during the project.  They should be assigned to individuals, not teams.  We all recognize the value of teams.  But don’t assign anything to a team that you want to get done.

Tasks should be assigned to individuals.  That way everyone knows who is accountable for the results.  When you periodically review the status of all the action items, everyone will know who accomplished what.

The team concept still applies, in that the person who has an action item assigned to them is expected to pull in the resources and support necessary to get the job done.  In the end, though, that person is responsible for the results.

Next time:  Other powerful uses of personality types.