We are human and want to be appreciated and made to feel wanted no matter who we are or what role each of us play in our daily lives. Even if you are a strong person there is no denial that you need to be encouraged and recognized.

If you think encouragement does not play an important role, think about the last time you or your friend resigned from a company and the reason was not the salary.  Many of us may be willing to stick around in a job when we know we are appreciated, recognized and acknowledged but not otherwise.

Nothing else can quite substitute a few well-chosen, well-timed, sincere words of praise. They’re absolutely free but worth a fortune as long as they are delivered in the right way.  Many feel it is about the Ego but it is more to do with something more human.   We are created for significance and this is of utmost importance in a community or in an organization.

One of the worst feelings anyone can undergo is feeling unwanted and insignificant.

The words ‘You Matter’, and what you did is important and I believe more so with people who probably rarely hear this in their day.  Let me share with you a real life experience :

Two years back, my dad had to undergo some checks before undergoing back surgery which was categorized as Level 7, which means it was a high risk operation.  I was not physically with him when this happened, since I was on my way to Bombay, which is where my parents live. I heard this from my sister who was with him when this incident happened. Whilst my dad was waiting for some tests to be done in the hospital, he suddenly slumped is his chair and my sister had to call for help. Whilst the staff were looking for Doctors’ to help him and get a stretcher, a security guard of the ICU just lifted him and ran into the ICU with his shoes on. He didn’t at that point in time remove his shoes though he was entering the ICU nor did he wait for the Doctor to arrive or the stretcher to be brought.  He also went beyond his normal call of duty (or what we call as the Job Description).  His act at the nick of time saved my dad’s life.  Whilst one may think that in a hospital when someone slumps, help should be immediately available, the reality is that in the keenness to adhere to Standard Operating Procedures, precious time is lost.  When I arrived at the hospital the following day, my sister introduced me to the Security Guard.  I introduced myself and thanked him and said he was solely responsible for saving my dad’s life. He turns around to me with a smile and said,”nice to hear that from you, your mom and your sister but I did what I thought was right at that time, it  was my duty to save him and I did not bother about the strict definition of call of duty”.  I told him he did the right thing and shall make sure that his supervisor knows about this.  He thanked me and said, it was nothing spectacular…  after all we are all human beings and if we cannot do this much for each other what is the use of being born and living in this world. Those words still ring in my ear.

You may say oh, but he did perform a significant task & it was important to let him know. True but think about the person who comes to your house to clear your trash. It will make such a difference to his or her day to know that what they do is important & they matter to our daily lives. Other examples are the lady at the reception of your gym or yoga center or hair salon, security guard of your building or house.  Think back when we were students didn’t we want to be recognized for something we did & when the teacher did acknowledge our contribution we felt good & motivated to do better. It is no different when we become adults.

Why Encourage ?

1. Encouragement builds relationships. When you take time to notice what others around you are doing and the way in which they contribute it can make a world of difference.  Encouragement takes it a step further because it is grounded in reality.

2. Encouragement builds loyalty. You will want to know how much your boss cares more than knowing how much he/she knows.   Encouragement from the heart is genuine and goes a long way to build trust and loyalty.

3. Encouragement builds morale.  Positive morale is key to a team, a department within a Company and the entire organization.  Turnover in an organization is high when morale is low.  Most of us crave meaningful feedback, especially at work.  It’s natural to want validation and acknowledgment for our accomplishments, and many of us want to hear constructive criticism to help us learn and grow.

Research by Gallup and others shows that engaged employees are more productive. They are more profitable, more customer-focused, safer, and more likely to withstand temptations to leave. The best-performing companies know that an employee engagement improvement strategy linked to the achievement of corporate goals will help them win in the marketplace.  In world-class organizations, the ratio of engaged to disengaged employees is 9.57:1.  In average organizations, the ratio of engaged to actively disengaged employees is 1.83:1. Source

Imagine the costs associated with not encouraging or recognizing someone’s efforts and the ripple effect it has on the organization, the world outside the organization and on each of us.

Before it’s too late, start encouraging and let people know they matter. Whom have you encouraged today?  Do you have any experiences to share ?

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