I find the best managers today tend to be employee-focused, looking to help others succeed in their jobs. They know the power of positive reinforcement--that is, catching other people doing something right--in working with others and recognizing and rewarding them for their efforts and results. They know that by providing a positive consequence--whether it is a word of thanks, taking someone out to lunch, or devising a special award--they will greatly increase the chances of having the desired behavior repeated or the high performance even further enhanced. They know the greatest management principle in the world is: "You get what you reward."
How often, however, do we take time to reward ourselves? With as busy as most people are today, it's easy for any of us to feel overworked and underappreciated and in the process to become a victim at work, being quick to blame others about the lack of recognition we receive. It doesn't have to be that way. You can do something to recognize and reward yourself when you finish a project, help a co-worker, or set a personal best level of performance that others may not even be aware of. To relax, acknowledge your success, and give yourself a chance to appreciate and regenerate is essential to keeping fresh and effective whatever your position is.
Taking a break from your routine helps to stimulate your thinking as well. Jack Canfield, co-author of Chicken Soup for the Soul advises others to "increase the amount of time you get away from the office so you can increase the high-level thinking required to come up with big ideas. When I come back to work [from vacation], I immediately see the results. I'm more productive and creative. While on vacation, I'll also get incredible ideas that wouldn't happen at home because I'm too busy putting out fires."
Jack also gets energy by spending time with others. He belongs to a Master Mind group, a term coined by legendary motivational guru Napoleon Hill, author of Think and Grow Rich, who suggested people form support groups to motivate and inspire each other. Jack says, "We all get locked into our own myopic viewpoints and very rarely get to see other, broader points of view. Regular meetings with successful people from different professions help open our thinking to new, bigger possibilities."
What works best to relax and rejuvenate, of course, varies widely from person to person, so it is important to be aware of what things you find most satisfying and rewarding. For some people, it is time with their family; for others it may be reading or exercise; still others might like to buy something for themselves--during a stressful time, to acknowledge a milestone, or as a way of picking up their spirits when they feel down.
One company I worked with gave each employee $50 cash on the condition that they leave the company and spend the money on themselves within the next two hours. Employees then had to return to the company to show everyone what they bought and why. This created a fun, rewarding and amazing experience as groups dashed off to Nordstrom, Sportsmart and so forth. In addition to getting a chance to buy something for oneself, the activity enhanced both morale and the level of team building that existed in the organization.
When everyone got back together to share, the variety of purchases was as varied as the employees themselves. One woman got her nails done, many people got things for their favorite hobbies, several people purchased electronic organizers, some bought books, and so on. Many employees were heard to say how they "never get anything for myself" because of a lack of time, money and/or energy we all face or the tendency many of us have to pamper our children and not ourselves.
It doesn't take much to reward yourself--take a break and do so when you feel you've deserved it!
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