The Powerful Four 'R's of Supervising
Are you looking for ways to support:
- Employee satisfaction?
- Staff Retention?
- Performance improvement?
- Achievement of department goals?
Using the Four Rs will get you positive results. The Four Rs: reward, recognition, reinforcement and relationship are globally referred to as Recognition.
The Four Rs support a workplace that is healthy, humane and competent. Think of them as power tools for building a workplace where people feel their contributions to achieving the mission of the University are important.
Definitions
From Bringing Out the Best in People by Aubrey Daniels
reward - a tangible item, usually money or exchangeable for money, that is intended to influence behavior in a particular direction. It is delayed and infrequent.
recognition - usually a symbolic way of showing appreciation for some accomplishment including plaques, trophies, and letters of commendation. It may be delayed and infrequent.
Question: What can be more effective and cheaper than reward and recognition?
Answer: positive reinforcement and relationship.
"Positive reinforcement causes a behavior to increase because a desired, meaningful consequence follows the behavior." (p.28). Examples of positive reinforcement messages are:
- Thank you for giving the customer the additional information so that they know what the next step is.
- I appreciate that you are here everyday on time. I can rely on you.
- I really value working with you. Our styles complement each other and the product is always better!
"Relationships are the foundation on which effective rewards and recognition are built. When you have that foundation, rewards and recognition enhance other forms of reinforcement. If you don't have it, you will waste your money and your time trying to buy discretionary performance."(p.164).
Permission to use material has been granted by McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. for "Bringing Out the Best in People" by Aubrey Daniels.
Examples of using the Four Rs:
- Noticing when your co-workers are doing their job well and commenting then and there
- Using the "best practice" of asking at each staff meeting, "What things have we accomplished since our last meeting
- Initiating an informal system that uses peer-to-peer strategies
- Developing a Customer Service Award
- Utilizing a formal recognition or reward system currently on campus
- Celebrating together as a work unit
- Supervisor asking how a staff member is feeling
Questions? Email nancy-noyer@uiowa.edu or call 335-0560.