We all want to work with people who behave well, are respectful and collaborate well with others. And in return, I think it’s fair to assume that we expect good behaviour to be recognised and rewarded.
Firstly, the culture of a business is largely influenced by how employees behave and perform.
Secondly, before rewarding people, the organisation needs to be clear which behaviours it wants to see more of.
Why? When leaders turn a blind eye to poor behaviour, a good culture can turn rotten.
Therefore, it’s up to leaders to clarify what is expected of their employees and follow through to ensure inappropriate behaviour is called out. This is just as important as encouraging and incentivising the right behaviour.
Often rewards and recognition at work are based on measurable performance outcomes -i.e achieving sales targets, securing new business, reducing time wasted or increasing productivity.
But often, when people achieve tangible results, their behaviour is overlooked.
Of course performance is important but HOW people behave in achieving those outcomes is just as important.
That is why many organisations now define desirable behaviour as an integral part of their reward systems.
If we want to create and sustain healthy, collaborative and respectful workplaces, where people and the business flourish, we have to be mindful of the behaviours we celebrate and reward.
Are you and your people clear what behaviours are celebrated and rewarded at work?