O Great One!: A Little Story About the Awesome Power of Recognition by David Novak and Christa Bourg [Employee Engagement]Billed as “a little story about the awesome power of recognition,”1 O Great One! by David Novak and Christa Bourg is a business fable that reminds us all about what drives us at work…and at home.

 

The story begins at home with a personal need for recognition.  David Novak was about to become a grandfather and was wrestling with what he wanted to be called.  He wanted something different and came up with “OGO,” which stands for “O Great One.”  The name stuck.

 

The story uses the concept of OGO and takes place in a work context.  It begins with the appointment of Jeff Johnson to CEO of his family business. It’s a role that his grandfather and father held at The Happy Face Toy Company. Previously uninterested in being part of the family business, Jeff returns after the sudden death of his father. The Board reluctantly hires him after he tells them that they can fire him if he can’t turn the business around in one year.

 

As Jeff gets to know his leadership team and the company’s remote sites, he discovers the power of recognition may be the key to turning the struggling company around.  He decides to focus all of his efforts on building a culture of recognition with the company. He starts with one of the remote sites and with his direct reports.

 

As the story progresses, he and his team develop 10 Guiding Principles for Inspiring OGOs:

 

“Principle #1: People won’t care about you if you don’t care about them.”2
You have to build trust and demonstrate your respect and appreciation for people before you can expect anything from them.

 

“Principle #2: The best way to show people you care is to listen to them.”3
Don’t just hear what they are saying; listen and engage with them.

 

“Principle #3: A great idea can come from anywhere.”4
Everyone is a potential source of ideas. Be careful not to discount anyone’s contributions.

 

“Principle #4: Recognize great work and great ideas whenever and wherever you see them.”5
Recognition should take place in the moment and be heartfelt.

 

“Principle #5: Make recognition a catalyst for results.”6
Recognize what you want to see more of in your business.  Specifically, recognize those who directly impact your businesses goals and objectives.

 

“Principle #6: Make it fun.”7
Recognition should be fun for everyone, not just the person being recognized.

 

“Principle #7: Make it personal.”8
Putting thought into how you  recognize someone gives it more meaning and makes it more memorable.

 

“Principle #8: Recognition is universal.”9
Everyone wants to be recognized no matter who or where they are.

 

“Principle #9: Giving recognition is a privilege.”10
You have the opportunity to make people feel great about themselves.

 

“Principle #10: Say thank you every chance you get.”11
These two little words are powerful and cost nothing to use.

 

 

These 10 Principles seem to be common sense and yet millions of people are disengaged at work.  Focusing on recognition could be a way to re-engage those people. Start by focusing on one of the Principles above and as it becomes a habit, add another, and another.  While it takes work to form a habit, the results will be worth it.

 

 

 

What are your thoughts on the 10 Principles of Recognition?  Which of them are easy for you and which will require some dedicated focus?

 

 

 

1 Novak, David, and Christa Bourg. O Great One!: A Little Story About the Awesome Power of Recognition. New York, NY: Portfolio, 2016. Print.
2 Ibid., p.209
3 Ibid.
4 Ibid., p.210
5 Ibid.
6 Ibid.
7 Ibid., p.211
8 Ibid.
9 Ibid.
10 Ibid., 212
11 Ibid.

 

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: The links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only reference products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

 

 

Let’s Engage!

I’m Agent in Engagement Simpson…Gregory F Simpson.

Employee engagement is a critical mission. I hope I can count on your help! Subscribe to the RSS Feed to receive the latest intelligence/insights and/or register to make entries in the comments log.

Photo of Gregory F SimpsonYou can follow me @agtinengagement.
Email me at g…@a…t.com.
Connect via LinkedIn at LinkedIn.com/in/GregoryFSimpson.
Learn more about me at gregoryfsimpson.com.

 

P.S.  First contact? Welcome to the Agent In Engagement community. Explore and join fellow employee engagement operatives in targeting a known thief – alias: Disengagement. Together we can bring this thief to justice and make the world a better place for all companies and their employees.

Other recent Agent in Engagement data/reports by Agent Gregory F Simpson: