Monday 16 November 2020

Praise – For Doing Our Job…?

 I was recently asked to give a “shout out” to some software developers who fixed a problem that, in my opinion, shouldn’t have occurred in the first place.  Not that I’m not grateful to them for fixing it, I just don’t understand why they deserve more than a “thank you” for putting something right. 

 

Every day of our lives we encounter errors made by others.  Most of these won’t be deliberate; I don’t know anyone who wakes up in the morning thinking “How can I really mess up someone’s day today?”  However, I do  know people who make mistakes and then apologise and correct them because that’s what they should do.  I’m grateful that they do it as well, rather than trying to cover up the mistake, passing the buck or blaming someone else.

 

As individuals, it’s up to us to recognise when someone deserves a “special mention”.  Not for doing their job, but for going the proverbial “extra mile” to make a difference.  Some organisations get this right every time and see business increasing through word-of-mouth (still the best advertising) as well as repeat business from happy customers.  Others seem to have a problem in understanding why they simply get a “thank you”.   

 

Praise and thanks should always be given when due.  When someone goes the “extra mile”, why not recognise it?  It tells others and their business that they’re getting things right so they can keep on doing them.  Equally, when someone corrects an error, they deserve thanks for correcting it.  By doing so, they’ve demonstrated that we and our business matter to them.  If they’ve gone above and beyond the call of duty to correct it, again, give them the “shout out” they so richly deserve.  


I’ve spent more than half my life delivering change in different world markets from the most developed to “emerging” economies. With more than 20 years in international financial services around the world running different operations and lending businesses, I started my own Consultancy to provide solutions for improving performance, productivity and risk management.  I work with individuals, small businesses, charities, quoted companies and academic institutions across the world. An international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email. My website  provides a full picture of my portfolio of services.  For strategic questions that you should be asking yourself, follow me at @wkm610.

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