Two Little Words That Make All the Difference With Employees

I’ve written a few blog posts in the last couple of months where I noticed I used these two words in conjunction – “Useless Unless.” Two little letters of difference, yet a tremendous differentiator.

Think of the ramifications in real life:

The fastest car in the world is useless unless you put fuel in the tank.
The best education is useless unless you put it to work.
The most talented basketball player is useless unless you give him a basketball (and committed team) to play with.
An incredibly delicious dinner party is useless unless you have friends and family to invite and share it with.
Talented, high-potential employees are useless unless they know the end goal and how to help achieve it.

The missing element

What’s missing that’s most important? “E”

Encourage – We need encouragement at work. Encouragement isn’t just something to be given in tough times, but also to let people know they’re on the right track – their work has greater meaning and purpose in achieving the bigger picture.
Extoll – Don’t forget the praise. Recognize people when they go above and beyond. Shout their achievements and contributions from the rooftops. Make sure they know their efforts are noticed, appreciated and valued.
Engage – If you Encourage and Extol, you’ve taken a giant step forward in creating a work environment in which people choose to engage. And engaged employees are more productive, more easily retained and more beneficial to the bottom line.

What else is useless unless… ?

You can find more from Derek Irvine on his Recognize This! blog.