Shower the People

By Doug Franklin December 15, 2011

Last night we had our annual Christmas party. It’s like a lot of office parties but I really try and use the occasion to celebrate our people. I have always realized that there is a correlation between the greatness of our people and the product our customers receive. If you have great people they will delivery a great product. That is so true in the Christian world. We are doing important stuff and we need to have great people doing it. So the question I ask myself is, what do great people deserve? The answer for me is they need to be treated like stars. This is my formula for treating staff members:

1. Encouragement 
Everyone needs to hear what they are good at. At least two times per month I try and tell my people what I think they are really good at. Stars shine but they need to know how they shine. The more encouragement the more important they feel.

2. Unexpected 
We must do special unexpected things for our people. If we do what is expected they will do the same for us … boring. I want to be extravagant with them so they will be over the top with others. The unexpected changes the way people think. 

3. Personal
When I want to show someone I care about them, I ask myself “what do they care about?” Spouses, careers, hobbies and pets are often the answer so I do things that show I care about what they care about. When I focus on what they love they know I am thinking about them and what they love.