QUOTATION 48

JOHN WOODEN ON WHY YOU NEED TO SHOW YOU CARE

Use this to remind you of the power of praise and thanks in the workplace.

John Wooden (1910–2010) was an American basketball player and coach who won the NCAA Championship ten times, including a record seven in a row. Many of the ideas he espoused were adopted by businesses in the USA, including his Pyramid of Success. One of his most oft-repeated quotations is:

Seek opportunities to show you care. The smallest gestures often make the biggest difference.

John Wooden

Sounds simple, but when was the last time that your boss said ‘Well done’ to you? Indeed, when was the last time you said it to a member of your staff? And while we’re at it, what about thanking staff for good work?

WHAT TO DO

  • Use every opportunity you can to get to know and understand your staff. These include daily conversations, meetings, encounters when out walking the job, over lunch, at social events and anything else you can think of. Learn about their job, the problems they face, what they like and dislike about their work. The more you demonstrate an interest in your staff and a genuine understanding of the pressures they work under, the more they will value your praise.
  • When you catch someone doing something good, remark on it immediately. Everything we know about feedback tells us that the nearer to the event that feedback is given, the more powerful its impact. However, if you see someone doing something wrong, wait until the person is alone and have a quiet word. Public humiliation doesn’t work!
  • Just because you said ‘Well done’ when you saw something doesn’t mean that you can’t refer to it again at a staff meeting. People may feel a bit embarrassed about receiving praise in public but secretly they will be glowing inside.
  • If someone is going through a tough time at work or at home, let them know you care. A simple enquiry about how a sick relative is and/or an offer to let them work from home while a loved one is sick helps cement your relationship with them.
  • If something good is happening in their lives, such as a family member gaining a qualification, or news that they are about to become a parent or grandparent, celebrate their good news.
  • ‘Thank you’ is also a powerful phrase. Just think of the last time you let someone out when driving and they didn’t indicate their thanks. It’s annoying. So is going the extra mile at work and no one recognising your efforts – which has happened to all of us.

QUESTIONS TO ASK

  • How good am I at showing that I care for my staff as people?
  • How much do I know about the lives of my staff?
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