Criticism versus Recognition: Tipping the Balance

Part of the job of being a leader is giving constructive criticism and recognizing people for positive contributions. This is true whether you're a CEO or a Scrum Master. But are you offering the appropriate balance of criticism and recognition?

When Doug Conant was CEO of Campbell Soup for 10 years, he wrote six letters of recognition every day, six days per week, to employees who made noteworthy contributions. He typically wrote them first thing in the morning - not emails, but good ol' fashioned letters. He even would send them by FedEx to faraway employees so they'd be received in a timely manner.

In his book Your Brain At Work, David Rock describes how threats have seven times the impact on our brain chemistry compared to rewards. I'd guess that few of us as leaders are giving positive recognition seven times as often as negative feedback. Maybe it's time to shift the balance.

Image by Monceau via Creative Commons license.