People like to feel important. That bit of information is not just obvious, it's something you learn in HR 101. But people aren't idiots, either. Employees can smell a supervisor's insincere motivation a mile away, and while a pat on the back is always welcome, it doesn't do much to make an employee feel really special when it's obviously an effort to increase productivity. It's unspoken appreciation that does the most to motivate a person to excel at their work. Workers crave unassuming symbols of their importance.
Examples include the job title. It's something most companies don't care about beyond strictly practical terms, but naming the position correctly can make the individual who filled the slot feel like they're a necessary lever not a replaceable component. It all comes down to semantics, is the study of the meaning of words, phrases, symbols, and their particular influence on the human mind. It's overwhelmingly evident that the right words matter a whole lot when it comes to the response or reaction received.
There is perhaps no better example of the power of semantics like how they work in politics. Frank Luntz is the name you're probably most familiar with when it comes to the frighteningly varying results you can get when you choose different words and phrases to describe an unchanging idea or concept. Luntz famously encouraged lawmakers opposed to the estate tax to call it a "death tax" instead, which resulted in public opinion shifting towards their side of the argument.
If you want workers to do better, use the right words to project the right mindset. You can even go further than that, if budget allows, and invest in seemingly prestigious benefits for the worker. When it's time to replace office furniture order inexpensive "executive office chairs" for all low ranking staff. Traveling employees should be given first-class tickets even if the airline choice is second-rate for their employment rank. They'll never find out.
It doesn't have to be all smoke and mirrors either. Just simply remembering to hone your genuine appreciation to a point that allows for maximum employee self-satisfaction is enough, and you don't have to feel like you're manipulating the mind of someone else.
Mark Twain famously said of writing that "the difference between the right word and almost the right word is the difference between a lightening bug and a bolt of lightening." This quote also rings true to office semantics. Ho-hum words and perks can generate the energy of a lightening bug among your workers, but pick the right words, phrases, and symbols and you'll get lightening.
Examples include the job title. It's something most companies don't care about beyond strictly practical terms, but naming the position correctly can make the individual who filled the slot feel like they're a necessary lever not a replaceable component. It all comes down to semantics, is the study of the meaning of words, phrases, symbols, and their particular influence on the human mind. It's overwhelmingly evident that the right words matter a whole lot when it comes to the response or reaction received.
There is perhaps no better example of the power of semantics like how they work in politics. Frank Luntz is the name you're probably most familiar with when it comes to the frighteningly varying results you can get when you choose different words and phrases to describe an unchanging idea or concept. Luntz famously encouraged lawmakers opposed to the estate tax to call it a "death tax" instead, which resulted in public opinion shifting towards their side of the argument.
If you want workers to do better, use the right words to project the right mindset. You can even go further than that, if budget allows, and invest in seemingly prestigious benefits for the worker. When it's time to replace office furniture order inexpensive "executive office chairs" for all low ranking staff. Traveling employees should be given first-class tickets even if the airline choice is second-rate for their employment rank. They'll never find out.
It doesn't have to be all smoke and mirrors either. Just simply remembering to hone your genuine appreciation to a point that allows for maximum employee self-satisfaction is enough, and you don't have to feel like you're manipulating the mind of someone else.
Mark Twain famously said of writing that "the difference between the right word and almost the right word is the difference between a lightening bug and a bolt of lightening." This quote also rings true to office semantics. Ho-hum words and perks can generate the energy of a lightening bug among your workers, but pick the right words, phrases, and symbols and you'll get lightening.
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About the Author
Nor Franco is the Managing Director and Virtual CEO of nextManager.net. He's a former corporate executive whose passion is bringing out the full potential of HR in Businesses. This time that passion is pursued through Virtual Management. He writes and blogs about his management views and insights here. Follow him on Twitter.
