It’s a part of every leader’s job to ensure everything is going smoothly. It’s human nature to focus on the things that are going wrong and to try and fix them, and sometimes it’s necessary to do this.
That said, focusing on successes is powerful. You attract what you focus on. That’s why you should make time to “catch” people doing things right.
Let me explain. I make time every week to let my employees know when they’ve done something great. I have it built into my calendar to make time for this.
I take 30 minutes every week at a certain time to stop and go through my internal team to “catch” someone doing something right. I either make a quick phone call, or a send text or an email that just lets them know that I noticed a success they had.
As a leader, I find this to be profoundly important. When our attention is fixated on the negative, we inadvertently invite more of those obstacles into our path. Conversely, when we concentrate on our aspirations and necessities, we tend to draw more of those positive outcomes toward us.
It sounds simple in theory, doesn’t it?
Yet, in practice, it’s not always easy to maintain that focus amidst life’s challenges. Nature has a way of reminding us of our place in the grand scheme of things. Every year, we put our faith in the soil, planting seeds and hoping for a good harvest. It takes a humble spirit to understand the uncertainty of this process.
Growing up on a farm really shaped my leadership qualities, and one of the most important lessons I learned was humility. In farming, you’re bound to face setbacks and challenges. You learn quickly that getting knocked down is inevitable, but what matters most is your ability to pick yourself up again. Because once you can do that, you’re able to help others rise as well. That makes me want to focus on employee success and not on the negatives.
Here’s why I make time to “catch” people doing things right.
When your employees feel that their success is noticed, they are more likely to be engaged with their work. Engagement is the fuel that drives productivity; it turns routine tasks into exciting opportunities.
Every CEO I speak with tells me that one of their key performance indicators is retention and attraction of talent, and I know that a culture that celebrates and enables employee success is a magnet for talent. High performers are drawn to environments where they can grow, learn, and be recognized for their contributions. By reducing turnover, companies save on the significant costs associated with recruiting and training new staff.
We know that innovation is critical to our continued success and when you focus on employee success, you provide opportunities for learning and development. Employees who are encouraged to acquire new skills and challenge the status quo are the ones who will help a company pivot and adapt in an ever-changing business environment.
I also know that everyone running an organization right now knows that investing in employee success is not just a matter of good corporate citizenship; it’s strategically important. The catch is, are we doing enough? We know that companies that prioritize the professional growth and satisfaction of their workforce are building the foundations for long-term success which leads to others eating OUR lunch using OUR people.
If you want to keep YOUR people YOUR people, what else can you do to help them truly see the role that they play in the company’s success? Make it a point to start “catching” your team members when they do something right. I can guarantee you’ll see the benefits almost immediately.
