Employees are people, not just work units

Employees are people, notlage just work unitsEmployees are people, not just work unitsLet me pose some questions for you *Are you a person or just a production unit? *Do you have a life outside of work?(Think friends, family, interests) *Are you a person, even at work,beyondyour role there and what you get done?Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreWhile performing ones job as expected is critical, I firmly believe thatpeople have worth and value no matter their level of performance.Every person is a unique individual created by God, and we all are intrinsically valuable- apart from what we do or accomplish.Many employees at all levels, including managers and supervisors, have shared with me their feelings of resentment about getting attention or hearing positive commentsonlywhen they meet or exceed the goals set for them. As a result, the employee feels like they are viewed solely as a work unit on a spreadsheet.This issue is especially true for those who are in a strong performance / reward work environment. I had one lead manager tell me They dont give a rip about us personally. As long as our numbers are good, were fine. But it isallabout performance.In working with one company and their call center staff, the challenge of differentiating between recognition for performance and appreciating them as individuals became a significant issue we had to discuss and work through. One supervisor shared his strugglesIt is actually hard on both ends of the spectrum- both with high achievers and low performers- tonot focus solely on their performance. And we have such a strong reward system for meeting goals that, even when I try to call attention to an action or characteristic that isnt directly related to meeting their goals, I think my team members still have a hard time hearing (and maybe, believing) that its not all about performance.Believe it or not, most people dont want to be praised all the time for doing what they are supposed to do. But it is nice to hear a thanks or an acknowledgment (at least occasionally) when you are doing your job. Otherwise, most of the feedback employees get from supervisors comes when they make a mistake, dont meet a deadline, or arent performing in the way desired. (Do we cease to have value when we make a mistake?)Inlast weeks blog, we talked about the difference between recognition and appreciation. Theintentof recognition and appreciation are largely the same- to motivate, to increase the frequency of desired behaviors and results, and to encourage team members. The primary difference is thatRecognitionfocuses primarily onperformance, while the focus ofAppreciationis on theperson(which may or may not include meeting goals for standards of performance). For example, we may appreciate the fact that a colleague is cheerful and positive, even though she may not be a top performer in the group.Good friend and c olleague, Roy Saunderson (author ofReal Recognition) mentioned to me that many in the world of HR and recognition are still primarily locked into the belief that rewards (tangible gifts) are the primary motivator of performance, even though research has clearly shown that this is frequently not the case. Roy stated, Lots of people dont really think about the difference between recognition and appreciationthey are stuck on the idea that employees wants stuff and, as a result, companies waste millions of dollars giving out things people dont really want. (See the research inThe 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplacewhich thoroughly validates this point.)The problem that comes from either a pure tangible reward approach or a recognition for performance approach (whether or not tangible gifts are used) is that these perspectives essentially translate people into things (a production machine) or utilize an animalistic model (think rats and cheese).We are more than producers. We are people. We have personality characteristics, as well as other talents and skills that bring value to life, but may not be directly productivity-enhancing. We must not forget that employees are people (first) who have physical bodies, emotional reactions, goals and desires, as well as families and lives outside of work. When we lose this perspective then a mechanistic, people are just resources workplace develops. And no one wants to work there.This article originally appeared on Appreciation at Work.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people