My wife Traci and I have always enjoyed dogs, and we just rescued our third puppy in the spring to replace our beloved Lilly who passed in the winter. However, just because we enjoy dogs, does not mean that we actually know how to train them very well. Oh, they eventually learn what they are supposed to do and especially what they are not supposed to do; however, we knew they had more potential and enjoyment than we were getting out of them. Therefore, we resolved that with this puppy, we would go with some serious training. Probably more for us than for the puppy.
What we learned was eye opening, yet very simple. As we suspected, the problem was not with our dogs, it was with us and the fact that we did not adhere to any rules of training. First, dogs like structure. They like to know what they should do and what they should not do. And they actually want to do what is right. Second, dogs like treats – I mean really like treats. They will do almost anything for treats and will keep doing them if they know a treat comes at the end. If a puppy learns to sit with a treat as a reward, they will eventually sit on command. The last and most important thing is that dogs like consistency. “Hmmm, if I sit for Traci, I get a treat and if I sit for Steve, I get a treat. I like sitting!” If they only get a treat once in a while or only from one of us, then we cannot influence their behavior. We have learned that if we can do these things well, we have a much happier puppy, who can play a bigger role in our family.
Why am I talking about training my dog in an engagement blog? Well, the same concepts apply for the recognition of our work force. Many times the problem is not with our employees, it is with the design of our recognition program. We may not be training our employees to do tricks, but we are engaging them to realize more of their potential and to contribute more to their corporate family. The same principles do apply…
- Communicate the rules and structure of the business so that everyone knows them.
- Frequently recognize and reward those that follow those rules and structures.
- Be consistent and predictable in your recognition.
Following these simple steps will take your recognition program a long way to achieving your goals.