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In Praise of Praise
By Woody Huizenga | August 15, 2008
A couple of things, neither of them part of the official conference program, made me feel really good when I was at MPI’s World Education Congress earlier this week in Las Vegas.
One happened on the last evening of the conference, when a young woman who remembered me from the Michigan Educational Conference a couple of years ago told me I resembled Sean Connery. Bless her for warming my middle-aged heart!
The other happened at the beginning of the conference, when hundreds of Mandalay Bay staff lined the long walk—there are no short walks in Las Vegas—into the Opening General Session. People from senior management to blue-shirted custodial staff had been conscripted into a receiving line on either side of a very long red carpet. They clapped. They cheered. They shook my hand. They looked me in the eye and welcomed me to their city.
And it felt great.
I know that their enthusiasm about my visit was not entirely heartfelt. I know that it was for each and every one of them a part of the job. I don’t care . . . I loved the applause.
This got me thinking about the people we work with at The Conference Publishers. It’s not necessary to praise somebody for getting out of bed in the morning and finding the office. Or, for that matter, for demonstrating the ability to walk the length of a red carpet without falling down.
But when someone goes beyond the call of duty—as our employees so often do—we ought to be generous with our praise. It’s not enough that we know our people are hard-working and creative and talented. We need to be sure that they know we know. And that we’re grateful for their efforts, and pleased they’re working for us.
We need to remember that fair pay and good working conditions are essential, but heartfelt applause is both inexpensive and priceless.
Topics: Meeting Professionals International, The Conference Publishers |