There are many ways to encourage people in an organisation. One approach is to build on the people who make a positive contribution. This can produce benefits for both themselves and the organisation.
Some organisations use language that labels some people as rising stars. This sounds reasonable. But it has downsides which can create challenges in the organisation.
Firstly, it can create the feeling that these people have already made it. But they may actually need to consistently produce the goods on a regular basis.
Secondly, it can create resentment and the feeling that other people are second-class citizens. But these people may actually have a lot to give to the organisation.
Good organisations encourage the people who are already making positive contributions. They also encourage those who have potential to keep developing and make positive contributions. Let’s explore how they may translate this into action.
They Build On The People
Who Are Positive Contributors
Good organisations communicate their purpose, principles and picture of success. They then build on the people who have a positive attitude and who want to make positive contributions to achieving the goals.
Such organisations encourage the soul players who make positive contributions. These people may also sometimes build on their strengths and deliver star performances.
They Encourage The Soul Players
Who Make A Positive Contribution
Good organisations have many soul players who embody the spirit of the organisation. Such people have a strong work ethic and aim to deliver high professional standards every day. They provide the backbone and make sure the team always gets to at least 8/10.
Some people who make such a contribution may be in the senior team. Some may be managers. Some may be individual workers. Some may be support staff who help others to succeed.
Such people believe that, providing they do a good job, their loyalty will be rewarded. They may suffer in silence, however, if others aim to grab the attention.
Good organisations recognise it is important to reward such people for their contributions. Because otherwise they may find that one day such a person may hand in their resignation. One person described this in the following way.
“For years my partner kept telling me to move on. I felt loyal to the company, however, and put in lots of hours that nobody noticed.
“My previous team leader used to meet with each of us off-site every six months. They took the time to find out how things were going and if we needed support.
“The new boss did not seem interested. They spent a lot of time with the vocal people in the team. I carried on, however, because that was my job.
“But then the company put in a performance management system where people had to be ranked along a bell-curve.
“That was the last straw. I was told that I must increase my profile in order to stay out of danger.
“But that is not my nature. Fortunately I had kept contact with my previous team leader. I now work for them in their new company.”
Good organisations encourage the soul players. They may also focus on the next theme.
They Encourage The Soul Players To
Build On Their Strengths And
Sometimes Deliver Star Performances
Soul players embody the spirit of the organisation. Many also have specific strengths that they can use to deliver star performances. Bearing this in mind, good organisations take the following steps.
They encourage people by giving them the support they need to deliver consistently high standards.
They encourage people to build on their strengths and focus on the specific activities where they can continue to do superb work.
They encourage people to, if they wish, focus on specific projects and pieces of work where they can deliver star performances.
Such organisations keep producing success stories to show what good looks like. These highlight when people have followed the organisation’s principles and done superb work.
Many of these stories show the work done by people in the support functions. Whilst such people may not always enjoy being in the spotlight, sometimes it is vital to show how they are making a superb contribution.
The soul players often drive the engine of an organisation. They do this in a caring and consistent way. They may also sometimes step up to do creative work and add that touch of class.
Good organisations continue to encourage such people. They may also take note of the following theme.
They Encourage The People Who Have The
Potential To Make A Positive Contribution
But They Do Not Call Them Rising Stars
Good organisations create an encouraging environment. They then employ people who want to make a positive contribution towards achieving its picture of success. They also focus on the following theme:
They employ people who have the ethic of earning things rather than one of entitlement.
They recognise it may not be helpful to talk about some people as rising stars. This can create resentment and also give some people the message that they have already made it.
Good organisations are often strengths based, however, so they do focus on people’s potential contributions. Bearing this in mind, they often take the following steps.
They continually communicate the organisation’s purpose, principles and picture of success.
They focus on people’s strengths and make clear contracts about their potential contributions to achieving the picture of success.
They give people the support they need to follow the principles and make positive contributions to achieving the picture of success.
This can involve helping a person who has potential: a) to make clear contracts about the outcomes to achieve: a) to keep following the principles; b) to keep delivering consistently high standards.
Good organisations focus on what a person actually does and delivers. Some people may keep doing the basics and even add the brilliance. Some people may need help to do so. Some may never take these steps.
There are many ways to encourage people in an organisation. One approach is to encourage the people who are soul players and sometimes star players. It is also to encourage people who may have the potential to make a positive contribution.
Let’s return to your own life and work. Whilst you may or may not work in an organisation, can you think of a situation where you may want to follow elements of this approach? How could you do this in your own way?
If you wish, try tackling the exercise on this theme. This invite you to complete the following sentences.
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