30 July 2001

• "Believe nothing. No matter where you read it, or who said it. Even if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reasoning, and your own common sense." – Buddha.

• Insider Secrets to Beating the Banks and Owning Your Home Years Sooner! – without making extra payments. Author: Harj Gill. Publisher: Self Published.

This book is an invaluable resource for any homeowner wanting to save thousands of dollars in interest payments and own their home years sooner. The book is available via this week’s website of the week.

• www.mortgagefreeaustralia.com A quick visit to this site will probably save you thousands and thousands of dollars.

Throughout history, mankind has always paid special tribute to people who have excelled in all areas of life. Our daily newspapers are filled with stories of greatness about business, sport, art, music, the humanities and many other fields of human endeavour.

The bit that often gets overlooked is that a business without people, is not a business. Music of itself, is nothing. Nor is art, nor is sport.

What makes these endeavours come alive is the involvement of people.

As has been stated before, most organisations claim that people are their most valuable asset. Yet how often do we see tangible evidence of that supposed fact? How often are people recognised for their business daily deeds? In my experience, not often.

An experiential activity which I regularly use in Vision Planning and Team Development Workshops provides feedback to participants when they make a mistake, but when they identify a correct square, that is they do something right, no feedback is forthcoming. It never ceases to amaze me how few times this aspect of the game is identified during the debrief. To me it confirms the reality that exists in most organisations, which is that the only time most employees hear from management is when they screw up.

As also mentioned before, appreciation rates as the number one motivator of people. One of the easiest ways to show your appreciation for staff is to publicly recognise them.

You have probably heard of the old adage, "praise in public, reprimand in private." It is one of life’s timeless principles.

Recognising your staff can be done in various ways. Some of those ways include featuring them in your company newsletter or staff bulletin. Just think how proud their kids will feel when they get to see their Mum or Dad being recognised on the front page of the ‘paper’.

Industry magazines are also a good medium in which to recognise members of staff. But articles about your staff won’t appear by themselves. Someone has to take the time to make sure that it happens.

Another tool that many companies use, particularly those in the tourism and hospitality industries, is the employee of the month award. Photos of respective winners are proudly displayed for business customers to see.

I am not a great fan of these types of programmes, as selecting one individual out for special recognition may have a negative impact on the rest of the team. If you are endeavouring to create a strong team culture within your company, and I strongly suggest you do, individual recognition of this type may run counter to your overall goals.

A very simple yet effective way of recognising and saying thank you to members of your staff is to take them to lunch. If you are a member of a golf or yacht club, take them there and show them off in front of your peers. Another option is to have them represent the company at some industry event.

Until next week, many happy customer returns!

Graham Harvey APS

Previous newsletters available at www.grahamharvey.com.au/Articles/

Please feel free to recommend "Touchstones". Tell your family, friends and business colleagues that their free subscription is waiting for them at www.grahamharvey.com.au