Filed under "Life learns from work and work learns from life"
Recently when trying to explain to one of the execs on how we are not doing so well on recognizing folks who keep the playing field green (no escalations, no defects etc), I explained that it is like when you have many kids and some of them are naturally more naughty than the others. If two of them are howling their heads off and another one is quietly playing, my energies are all engaged in trying to quieten the howlers and I would probably not pay any attention at all to the quiet child (forget about thinking of rewarding in that moment!).
But then we need to. Eventually the quiet child will see that there is no reward for having been "good" and this can only lead to disastrous results.
So not to blame the management or anything, this is natural human impulse. But a good leader moves beyond and consciously does things differently.
Then I thought, do I reward my own kids in accordance with that? My older one tends to be naturally obedient and quiet while the younger one is quite a handful. But I am learning to consciously reward the older one (and visibly in front of his younger brother) for his good behavior in the same situation so that both ends are met!
Win-win, eh?
If I am ever able to master it, sure! I am still learning here though.. ;)
Recently when trying to explain to one of the execs on how we are not doing so well on recognizing folks who keep the playing field green (no escalations, no defects etc), I explained that it is like when you have many kids and some of them are naturally more naughty than the others. If two of them are howling their heads off and another one is quietly playing, my energies are all engaged in trying to quieten the howlers and I would probably not pay any attention at all to the quiet child (forget about thinking of rewarding in that moment!).
But then we need to. Eventually the quiet child will see that there is no reward for having been "good" and this can only lead to disastrous results.
So not to blame the management or anything, this is natural human impulse. But a good leader moves beyond and consciously does things differently.
Then I thought, do I reward my own kids in accordance with that? My older one tends to be naturally obedient and quiet while the younger one is quite a handful. But I am learning to consciously reward the older one (and visibly in front of his younger brother) for his good behavior in the same situation so that both ends are met!
Win-win, eh?
If I am ever able to master it, sure! I am still learning here though.. ;)
