Paying the Team Means Never Having to Say “Thank You”

And other myths about work culture…

I often talk about the old idea that people should be satisfied with just a job and a paycheck (and they were).

But that idea is dead like a dinosaur.

If that’s all you are providing for your team, then the best talent is not working for you, but for a competitor who cares about work culture.

Currently there are 5 generations in the work force, with GenX and Millenials now making up the largest demographic in the work force.

With new generations come new ideas.

Ideas about what work is supposed to be like, what is most important in life, and what is motivating.

It’s not just about having a job and a paycheck anymore.

(Not “even in a pandemic.” But ESPECIALLY in a pandemic.)

And while we are arguing whether or not that is right or wrong, it’s happening anyway.

What sparked me to write this article was this clip that was referenced in a human resources article I was reading.

In the clip from the Mad Men tv series, a young female employee is having a conversation with her boss expressing her desire to be thanked for giving him ideas, which is her job. (side note: he was taking credit for the ideas).

He responds by saying, “That’s what the money is for.”

The description under the clip reads “Best employee handbook ever. I’ve started playing this at staff meetings.”

(I’d love to talk to that staff and see if any of them plan on being there in 6 months.)

So here you have an employee telling her boss what would make her more productive, information that many businesses pay money to find out, and he’s basically ignoring it. I get it, the tv show takes place in a previous century. But it’s not the clip itself that is faulty, it’s the “best employee handbook” description (which was written in the past few years).

Mad Men was set in the 1960’s, almost SIXTY years ago. Your employee handbook should have had MANY updates since LAST year.

Before you get all “But Wendy, that’s the real world! Grow up!” here are some real life examples:

&pizza gives their team PAID time off for activism and pays a living wage to workers.

Patagonia has on site childcare centers and let’s the team leave the office when the surf’s up.

Clear SEM, a marketing agency here in my neck of the woods, has pajama parties and pancake breakfasts for the team (see more about their work culture on their Instagram feed).

Do you think Don from Mad Men would be implementing any of these ideas? Probably not.

And guess what creating the kinds of cultures in those examples is doing for their teams, their business, and their bottom line? (hint: everyone wins!)

In our post-Mad Men world, there have been countless studies done about work culture, including this one and this one that found:

People would rather work for company where they received recognition over a higher salary job where they didn’t get any recognition.

Employees who don’t feel recognized are twice as likely to quit in a year.

3 Ways To Improve Your Recognition-Giving Technique

Don’t be a dead dinosaur. Roooaaaar!

Ok, so maybe you can’t build a childcare center specifically for your team, but here’s what anyone who leads a team CAN do to foster a culture where your team feels appreciated:

1.     Give praise, and make it specific. Saying “thank you” is nice, but just saying those words won’t be as effective as getting specific. For example  saying “Thank you for getting those reports done on time. They were well organized and the extra notes you included at the bottom were super helpful.” Sounds better than “thank you,” right? And guess what will happen next time reports are due?

2.     Ask the team what would make them more productive. Then listen to the answers. Then act on what is said. This is basically the platinum rule, which says treat others the way they want to be treated. Just because money might be a big motivator for you, doesn’t mean it’s a high priority for members of the team.

3.     Don’t fake it- just like anything else, checking off the boxes doesn’t mean it’s accomplished or that what is being done is effective. If you are giving praise, make it authentic. You can’t fake caring about your team.

What do you think about praise and recognition in the workplace? What are some unique ways you recognize your team?

Need help in this area? I know someone. (hint: it’s me!)