Related Literature

“All too often, simple acts of human kindness are often overlooked and under utilized by people in leadership roles. Advising mutual respect and recognition of accomplishments, Encouraging the Heart shows us how true leaders encourage and motivate those they work with by helping them find their voice and making them feel like heroes. Recognized experts in the field of leadership, authors James Kouzes and Barry Posner show us that, through love, leaders can encourage, and indeed allow those around them to be their very best. Both practical and inspirational, Encouraging the Heart gives readers a thoughtful approach to motivating individuals within an organizational structure.” (josseybass.com) Following is a brief summary of key points and ideas discussed in the book.

• 98% of people say that encouragement helps them perform at a higher level (asked of authors’ leadership classes)
• A study by Kepner-Tregoe (a training and development company) showed that 96% of workers agreed with the statement “I get a lot of satisfaction out of knowing I’ve done a good job”
  
• Many people may think that they do not need positive affirmations and recognition, but research proves that they do.
  
• Only 50% of managers say that they do a good job of recognizing staff performance
  
• Studies by the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL), found that only one factor differentiated the highest performing managers from the lower. That factor is affection (expressed and wanted)
  • This study never found a group that complained about too much expressed affection
  • This study asserts that affection could be the key to successful management
• “The secret is this: we all really do want to be loved”
• The Pygmalion effect – “Leaders will believe so much in the ability of their team to achieve the high standards set for their team, that their dedication to that belief is enough to motivate and instill the confidence in the team to actually achieve the goals.”
  
• Find Your Voice! Leadership is an art, each artist needs to find their own style
  
• When beginning your journey to become the ideal leader: read books of other leaders, attend speakers, participate in leadership training programs. The key is to master the basics.
  
  

There are Seven Essentials of Encouraging and Motivation:

• The First Essential: Set Clear Standards
• Encouragement has to be genuine. “Exemplary leadership is soft and demanding, caring and conscientious” (p. 45).
• The first step in providing leadership is setting standards. An organization must clearly establish their expectations and recognize individuals when those expectations are met.
• With clear goals and detailed feedback, people become self-corrective and more easily understand their plaice in the big picture (p. 55).
• Define each level of desired performance. Connect this with desired outcomes and rewards.
• ? How clear and specific are the goals of those you’re leading—are they clear and specific for you and for them?
• ? How do you, and how do they, know success when it happens?
  

• The Second Essential: Expect the Best
  
  • High expectations lead to high performance.
  • Hundreds of studies have shown that people act consistently with set expectations therefore leaders should establish and expect the best. “If the potential exists within us, it comes out when a leader takes the time to bring us along.” (p. 62).
    
  • ? Consider some “lower performers” among those you lead. How might your expectations be influencing their performance?
    
  • ? Consider some high performers. Are your expectations different? What are you doing as a leader to influence their productivity?
    
    
• The Third Essential: Pay Attention
  
  • In order to find positive, meaningful examples to recognize, leaders must pay close attention to what’s happening on their team.
    
  • One of the most important elements of recognition is showing you care by paying attention to the people you work with, what they’re doing, and how they’re feeling.
    
  • “If you see yourself as a caring leader, you act differently than when you see yourself as a controller. You express joy in seeing others succeed, you cheer others along, and you offer supportive coaching, rather than being a militant authority figure…”
    
  • ? Would you say you more often notice positive or negative things?
    
  • ? When was the last time you recognized someone for his or her actions?
    
    
• The Fourth Essential: Personalize Recognition
  
  • People are different and therefore respond better to different types of recognition. In order to encourage a person on your team you must consider who he/she is and their likes/dislikes. Decide if public or private recognition is best.
    
  • Thoughtfulness: the effort you put into thinking about what’s important to the other person influences the effect recognition has on the individual.
    
  • ? How much time do you typically spend in thinking about what would make an act of recognition special and unique for the person? Is it enough?
    
  • ? How many cultures are represented among your workforce? Are you aware of how each of these cultures expresses appreciation and responds to recognition?
    
    
• The Fifth Essential: Tell the Story
  
  • Stories teach, mobilize, and motivate. Don’t just recognize someone by point out numbers or presenting a certificate, publicly talk about what it was they did in a story format. This will also be of more interest to others and the recognition will spread.
  • “In a very real sense, recognition is a story. It’s something we can recall and retell whenever we need to know again who we are, what we stand for, and where we are going. That’s why it’s so essential that we tell the story when we recognize someone for doing the right thing or doing things right” (p.106)
  • ? When was the last time you told a public story about someone who did something extraordinary in your organization?
  • ? What stories are told most often in your organization? What are the lessons and morals being communicated? What other stories should be told?
    

• The Sixth Essential: Celebrate Together
  
  • Celebrations build community, and community builds a pleasurable working environment. When members of an organization interact more than just professionally, they are more likely to come to know and care about each other.
  • Increase a sense of belonging and establish a shared sense of purpose.
    
  • Celebrate transitions, successes (team and individual), events, expansions, etc.
    
  • ? What and when was the most recent celebration that you held in your organization?
    
  • ? How frequently do you celebrate accomplishments? Is that often enough?
    
  • ? Do people in your team feel celebrations are a waste of time or that they’re too buys to stop working? What can you do about these feelings?
    
    
• The Seventh Essential: Set the Example
  
  • Culture is perpetuated by everyone becoming a leader and setting an example
    
  • “Credibility is the foundation of leadership” – leaders must be trusted; Key: DWYSYWD – Do what you say you will do; DWWSWWD – Do what we say we will do
    
  • Get personally involved with staff
    
  • Leaders go first, start the morning with encouragement – leave yourself a reminder that will pop up when you turn on your computer in the morning
    
  • ? How does the environment in your workplace reflect your behavior?
    
  • ? What have you consciously done recently to send a signal to people that encouraging the heart is important to you?
    
  • ? How personally involved are you in the recognition and celebrations that now go on in your organization?

Kouzes, James M. & Posner, Barry Z. (1999) Encouraging the Heart: A Leader's Guide to Rewarding and Recognizing Others. Jossey-Bass.