The Contented Cow Blog

Building Workplaces That Work

Last week I delivered a speech at the University of North Florida on the leader behaviors which drive and restrain discretionary effort, and the attendant employee engagement. We call it Oomph!

As is customary, unless you really lay an egg, a small handful of members of the audience came up after I finished to ask a question, make a point, or pass along a compliment. I could tell that two of the women standing there seemed particularly interested in getting my attention. As I turned to them, one of them blurted out that the presentation, which at best I’d give a B to (after all, this was a university setting), was the best she’d heard in some time. The other simply said, “I want to thank you. You have no way of knowing it, but your remarks helped me make an important career decision.”

Wow! In an instant, I went from being a little tired (this was the 2nd such presentation that day) to absolutely pumped by the knowledge that what I had just done for the last hour mattered, really mattered to somebody. Her simple, heartfelt comment got me stoked, not just for the afternoon, but for the next several presentations I’ll be making. For the next few months, whenever I give a speech or a seminar, I will have a visual reminder of that lady’s face, and the knowledge that what I’m doing can make a real difference.

It’s not that this principle is new to us. In point of fact, we pound it pretty hard in our work. Yet, there is a world of difference between telling others that they need to let their people know that their work matters, and having it happen to you. So, for the next little while, I’m refreshed. The question is, what about the people on your team? When was the last time they heard how and why their work matters?

A thought leader in the areas of leadership and employee engagement, Bill Catlette is a seminar leader, keynote speaker, and executive coach. He helps individuals and organizations improve business outcomes by having a focused, engaged, capably led workforce. For more information about Bill, his partner Richard, and their work, please visit their website at www.contentedcows.com

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