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When Opportunity Knocks

Opportunities to recognize and reward employees occasionally fall into a manager’s lap. For example, an employee wants to talk about something that has made him or her particularly proud. It might be part of a project, but it could just as easily be a piece of art created by the employee’s child or a vacation photograph.

In these instances, some managers offer a perfunctory, “That’s nice.” At that point, the employee instantly senses that the manager is uninterested in any of this, and is therefore uninterested in the employee.

When an employee approaches you and speaks proudly of something he or she has accomplished or brought to work, you should get involved. If there is something to see, go see it; if there is something to read, go read it; if there is something to hear, go listen. Your employee is asking for recognition, and it’s important for you to recognize that fact.