Today I drudged into my office Dilbert style, fretting another thankless day on the grind. On my way there I tried to recall the last time someone thanked me for the job I'd done the past few weeks with my extra responsibilities. I came up short, and realized that one of the biggest problems with managers is that often times they withhold recognition until things are perfect...
These types of managers limit themselves grossly. They live in a constant fear that their expressions of gratitude will be taken for granted or that their teams will somehow manipulate them. While everyone else is using their smiles to create an environment of acceptance, these managers withhold their smiles limiting them to only certain situations to create an environment of approval (i.e. "I approve that quality of work", and "I approve your personality"). After a while these teams only feel validated when the "I" is in the mood for validation and it becomes an unhealthy dependency.
Anyway I came in today after being gone for a few days, and naturally things were not perfect. They were good, but not perfect. There were files out of place, paper cups on the desk creating little pools of condensation, and emails needing correspondence. Ironically, I was perfectly okay with it all.
I thanked my team for the outstanding job they did while I was gone, and bought them each a gift card to enjoy on whatever terms they'd like. I thanked them for their hard work and gave hi-fives all around. They worked harder for me today than I've seen them work my entire time there.
I know all the mantras about the small things making a big difference, so let's break it down to the simplest form of economics between buyers and sellers. They bought what I was selling and both of us benefited. I enjoyed giving the recognition and they enjoyed receiving it--it was the perfect transaction. So if we're so obsessed with perfect, why don't more transactions happen like this every day?
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