Erika Flora guest posts
This great quote was given to me years ago and has remained with me ever since. It’s as follows:
There are no limits to what you can do, as long as you don’t care about who gets credit.
General of the Army George C. Marshall
Staff Sgt. Staff Sgt.
This is a great idea! It’s so easy to get so focused on our careers and jobs that we forget to think about the people around us and help them achieve their goals. Since I made a conscious effort in the past to?let go?, my work attitude has changed dramatically. My work attitude has changed dramatically, regardless of who gets the credit. My team and my coworkers have also changed how they view my work. They see me as their champion and work hard to be the best they can. Instead of worrying about whether the executive management sees all my great work and positioning myself accordingly for the next great promotion, instead, I focus on mentoring others, and helping them get recognized for their hardwork. Part of my work week is spent thinking about how I can make my team’s efforts visible and worthy of praise.
Many employees feel that their work is not valued. It’s terrible! It is the best thing we can do to help our direct reports, coworkers, colleagues, and project team members is to find creative ways of showing our appreciation and making sure everyone knows they have made a valuable contribution. We all love being praised for our hard work. You should make sure that you are actively doing this for others.
This concept has been implemented by many companies. Pfizer had a program called the Pfish program. This allowed you to send a Pfish card for a variety reasons, such as being a team player, doing extra work, or just making someone’s day. Each week, all those who had received a Pfishcard were entered in a raffle to win a gift certificate. The best part about the Pfish cards program was that each recipient received an email from their boss. It was a fun program that made employees feel appreciated and special.
To show appreciation for others, you don’t have to create a company program. These are some simple things you can do that will make a difference in the lives and livelihoods of those around. Submit your project team to an internal award, external?Project Of The Year?, or any other award. Many professional organizations are open to receiving submissions for all types of awards. They are often excited to receive new submissions from companies and people they have never met before. Log onto LinkedIn to write unrequested recommendations for people you’ve enjoyed working with. Write a thank you email to your boss for helping with a difficult project. Start a ?Thanks a latte!? Send a newsletter to thank your team members. Post it at work. The more creative and silly you are, the better. You will be amazed at the results. Although it may seem counterintuitive, project managers shine the brightest when their teams shine. What are some other examples of how you have helped your team shine and brighten their day?
Erika Flora, PMP, ITIL [email protected]
