Do you know any business owners who are frustrated with loss of productivity due to absenteeism and tardiness? Are you aware that employees that know they are valued, respected and appreciated tend to show up for work? Do your employees complain of stomachaches, headaches and acid indigestion? When these complaints abound, people feel as if they can't do anything right or they sense that their ideas and insights aren't important. Lateness and attendance problems indicate an unhealthy work environment. Ironically, rather than find the cause of the illnesses, companies often treat the symptoms with reprimands in the form of tight absence control policies, rather than treat the disease. One antidote that helps cure the ailments is a good dose of praise for things that are done right.

     There once was a young man who decided to become a writer, despite his limited education. He sent stories and articles to publishers, but received many rejections. Finally, when he was about to give up, one publisher cited the positive aspects of a story. The writer, spurred on by the praise, built on that success, and ultimately became a well known author. With praise, Charles Dickens blossomed and grew.

     Praise is like sunshine to a flower. Have you noticed how plants and flowers seek the sun? People need sunshine in the form of praise, as well. Sunshine helps plants make the food necessary to grow. Praise feeds people and encourages them to repeat desired behaviors. Appropriate and specific praise helps workers identify what TO do. Conversely, admonishment and criticism tells them what not to do, but leaves them in the dark about how to succeed.

     Sometimes corrective action is needed. However, try to administer it as if it's fertilizer. Plants need fertilizer when there are insufficient nutrients in the soil. These are analogous to insufficient skills or knowledge. Fertilizer is used in very small doses, otherwise the plant gets burned or stifled. People feel burned and stifled when they receive an over abundance of criticism, and instead of growing and flourishing, begin to diminish.

     Recently a nurse lamented that her supervisor criticized her project report because it didn't have enough detail. For the next meeting the nurse added all the details that led to implementation of the project. Her supervisor then criticized her for having too much detail. She became frustrated and felt that she couldn't do anything right. She complained of headaches and stomachaches each time she prepared the weekly report. Finally, she stumbled on the right mix of detail, and received praise for her efforts. The headaches and stomachaches disappeared.

     How do you increase health in your workplace? Find the elements of work that are done well, and tell the employees what specifically makes that part good. Tell them what you appreciate about their work habits, skills and ideas. If you are a worker, praise your manager for the praise you receive. As Ken Blanchard, the author of "The One Minute Manager" states, "catch people in the act of doing something right."

     Take the initiative today to bring the antidote of sunshine in the form of praise to your workplace, and praise yourself for doing so.

Betty Myers, President of Kaleidosystems, consults with executives that are frustrated with low productivity. She designs customized seminars and training geared at leadership, team and individual effectiveness. Call her at 410-997-2052, or email her.