How to Be More Persuasive in 2014

What will make you more persuasive in 2014? Thinking less about what you want and more about what you deliver for others. Work with the principle of benefit exchange to win over your colleagues.

A benefit exchange is the heart of persuasion. It answers the question, "What's in it for me?" for the person you are seeking to influence. In other words, it's a benefit you promise in exchange for someone taking your desired action.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s 7 Leadership Secrets

His autobiography is released today, so what lessons can we draw from this sporting icon?

When Manchester United boss Sir Alex – the most successful manager of a British soccer team in decades – announced his retirement back in May, it generated more than 1.4 million Twitter mentions within the first hour. This ranked as more significant than the death of Margaret Thatcher, if slightly less so than the announcement of the new Pope.

So here are Sir Alex's seven leadership lessons:

21 Awesome Things to Say to Yourself

Self-talk works for some people but not for me. Looking in the mirror and saying, "I am awesome, I am awesome, I am awesome..." is a waste of time since a louder voice in my head is always shouting, "No you're not! No you're not!"

But I do like self-talk that results from something I've done. Because I've earned it, the doubting voice in my head goes silent.

Try it. I guarantee you'll feel a lot better about yourself. For the next seven days, put aside your standard to-do list and do what it takes to ensure you can say these things to yourself:

1. "I did something no one else was willing to do."

Pick one thing other people aren't willing to do. Pick something simple. Pick something small. Make the call no one will make. Help the person no one will help. Volunteer for the task everyone else avoids.

Instantly you will be a little different from the rest of the pack. But why stop? Keep going. Every day do one thing no one else is willing to do. After a week you'll be uncommon. After a month, you'll be special. After a year you'll be incredible. You won't be like anyone else.

You'll be you.

2. "That wasn't nearly as bad as I thought..."

The most paralyzing fear is fear of the unknown. (At least it is for me.) But nothing ever turns out to be as hard or as scary as you think.

Plus it's exciting to overcome a fear. You'll get that, "I can't believe I jumped out of an airplane!" rush, a feeling you may not have experienced for a long time. (And you may find that feeling is addictive, but in a good way.)

The Secret Key to Success and Failure - "You"

Aspiration is the greatest ally anyone can have in their rise to success. It gives "you" a reason to move forward despite obstacles and setbacks. But why put "you" in quotation marks? Because there is more than one you to consider. Human beings have divided natures. As pointed out by Plato two millennial ago when he compared the soul to a chariot being pulled upward by a white horse and downward by a black horse. Depending on which horse you encourage, your personal fate is in your hands.

Article: The Single Biggest Threat To Your Job

The biggest threat to your job might come from an unexpected place. I believe that there is a hidden assassin lurking in the background waiting to finish you off in your job. Let’s face it, job security is high on everyone’s wish list right now, especially at times of economic downturn when it might not be so easy to quickly find another one.

So how secure is your job? Where is this hidden threat coming from and how can you put yourself into the best possible position to keep your job? I believe the biggest threat to your job, indeed most of our jobs, is coming from from an unforeseen eliminator. I believe that our improved ability to capture and analyse data will allow us to automate most jobs. And I am not just talking about the manual and un-skilled jobs but any job, including the jobs of knowledge workers, doctors, journalists and even sports coaches.

The First Things a New Leader Should Do to Build Trust

As a new supervisor nearly 30 years ago and as Lockheed Martin CEO and President, building trust has always been my top priority. That’s because I’ve learned over the years that if you don’t have a bond of trust with the people who can help you succeed, business comes to a screeching halt.

Article: How to Spot a Great Leader in Four Easy Steps

Leadership can be an incredibly hard concept to define and an even harder quality to learn. There are some who argue that great leaders are born but I have always believed that you can learn and develop the necessary skills through hard work and experience.

No Job Posted...Send Resume Anyway?

I got this question from a reader regarding submitting a resume to companies that don't appear to be hiring:

In one of your webinars recently you said go straight to the companies and avoid the postings. My question is: Do you make sure that a company is hiring or do you just send your letter and resume and hope for the best? Some companies do not accept resumes if they don't have a specific job opening.

The answer is "no." You shouldn't blindly submit your materials. But, not because a company won't accept them. They will. However...

Here's Why Your Resume Won't Get Seen...

When I tell people to go straight to the company, what I mean is there's no point in applying online unless you have someone you know in the company who can walk your credentials into the hiring manager and ask them to pull your resume from the thousands they've received online and take a closer look. Yep, I said THOUSANDS. Today, applying via job boards is the easiest way to look for a work - so, everyone is doing it. Yet, it also happens to be the least effective method for getting noticed. Why? The ATS (applicant tracking system) employers use to gather applications automatically screen you out for not being an exact keyword and experience match for the job. Still, people continue to waste hours upon hours filling out online applications only to be shocked and disappointed when they never hear back from the employers. They say to me, "But J.T., I was perfect for the job." I respond, "Yes, you and hundreds of other people." The reality is your chances of making it through the online process and into the hands of a human being are only slightly better than you winning the lottery.

Effective Job Seeker Rule #1: Submit Resumes to Actual People

Want to improve your odds of getting noticed by employers? Only submit your resume and cover letter to human beings. How? Network and connect with employees of the companies you desire to work at. Then, when a job gets posted you are a match for, instead of going into the ATS blackhole, you can reach out to your contacts and see if they can help you get your credentials in the hiring manager's hands. There's a reason 80%+ of jobs today are gotten via referral - it works!

No Job Posted? Even More Reason to Network

When there's a company you'd like to work for but they've no jobs posted, you've got an opportunity to prepare for the day they finally hire for your skill set. You can start the networking process now with employees and get to know first-hand what it will take to eventually earn a position at their company. Better still, you may learn about the "hidden" jobs at the company. The ones that are open but not posted anywhere online. While sending a resume to HR will likely end up in the circular file. (a.k.a. trash can), connecting and having meaningful conversations with employees will result in you being fully prepared to fast-track your resume to the right hiring manager.

What other tips can readers share to help people get around ATS and connect directly with employers? I'd love to hear your comments below.

J.T. O'Donnell

Networking Rules for Job-seekers: the Good, the Bad and the Almost Perfect

"Networking is about meeting people you know who can vouch for your past performance and connect you with people you don't know."

After writing The Best Job-hunting Secrets of All Time, and reading the comments, I can safely conclude that 20% of job-seekers find networking necessary, appropriate, and comfortable. Another 20% find it necessary, but uncomfortable. The rest are either not doing it, or doing it wrong.

As I've stated loud and clear on these pages many times, applying directly to a job posting should represent no more than 20% of your total time looking for a job. Sixty percent should be on networking. The other 20% represents a bunch of clever techniques to help your resume be found and get contacted by a recruiter. This post will focus on the 60% networking piece.

For job-seekers there are some major advantages to networking over applying directly. For one, you'll be able to bypass the gatekeepers. For another, you'll increase your chances of being interviewed and hired by 5-10X. Even more important, candidates who are highly referred are judged more on their past performance and future potential than on their level of skills and experiences. That’s why I tell candidates not to directly apply to a job unless they’re a perfect fit on skills and experience. If not, they need to be referred by someone who can vouch for their past performance and future potential.

Networking is not about trying to meet as many people whom you don't know. This is almost as ineffective as applying directly to a job posting. Networking is about meeting people you do know who can both vouch for your past performance and future potential, and willingly recommend you to others. Here’s how this should be done:

1. Meet 3-4 people who can vouch for your past performance and future potential. These should be your best first degree connections. Younger people can use their professors, advisors, or important church or social connections as their first degree connections.
2. During the meeting review your resume or LinkedIn profile and ask for feedback. Then ask these people if they would be comfortable recommending you to people they know who are connected to others in companies or industries of interest.
3. If the answer to Step 2 is no, find out why, and/or find some better connected people.
4. If the answer to Step 2 is yes, obtain the names of 3-4 people and their contact information. Then ask the person who is vouching for you if they would call the person on your behalf, or send an email introducing you.
5. Research your connection's connections and ask about specific people. In addition to asking people you know who they know, you can turn this around and ask them about specific people they’re already connected to who you'd like to meet. This is possible using LinkedIn, since you’re able to see your first degree connections' connections (at least if they haven't hidden them).
6. Network backwards. Start with a job of interest, and using LinkedIn, find out who you're connected to who knows someone in the company who can refer you.
7. Be direct and be proactive. When you meet these second degree connections be prepared to ask about specific people they know, and about specific jobs at their companies. All of this information is on LinkedIn. Asking to be referred to a specific person or a specific job will result in more connections and more interviews.
8. Don’t be a pest, but keep your network warm by maintaining an active PR campaign. Spend a few hours each week sending emails to those who have helped you in any way. Make them personal.
9. Establish some metrics to stay focused. Treat the job-hunting process as a job, not a hobby. As a minimum, you’ll need to track meetings per week and the number of recommendations per meeting. The overriding goal should by 50-60 people in your job-hunting network within 2-3 weeks.

Networking is how you turn 4-5 great contacts into 50-60 connections in 2-3 weeks. As described above, networking should represent 60% of your job-hunting efforts. It will take about 20-30 hours per week. This is roughly 10-15 new contacts per week via the phone, which should convert into 5-6 one-on-one meetings every week. The rest of the time should be on LinkedIn researching their connections and finding open jobs in their companies. Within 2-3 weeks you’ll start hearing about some real jobs of interest. The person doing the recommending will think it’s a coincidence, but you’ll know it’s a result of your hard work.

Getting referred increases your chances of being interviewed and getting a better job by 5-10X over applying directly. This is a pretty good trade-off since it only takes three times the effort. Even better, some of the connections you make along the way will surprise you, and put you on a path you never even considered.

Lou Adler

Editorial: The 10 Most Irritating Phrases Ever! Don't Use Them

Whether you are at work or at home, with colleagues or friends, there are some words or phrases that can drive the people around you to complete insanity. Especially if you use them again, and again and again!

The trouble with these words is that they are not something we have carefully chosen to most eloquently make a point. No, they are just filler words that we got into the habit of using. They often don’t mean anything, they are just there to irritate.

In some people the use of these repetitive, nothing-saying, filler-words has reached epidemic proportions. I believe we need to cure this and stop using them. When I say stop using them I don’t mean completely. I don’t mind if someone uses them appropriately. I use most of them. What we have to stop is using them repeatedly and without meaning!

But then, maybe it’s just me? Maybe I am the only one that gets irritated by that? Or do you get annoyed and tired of hearing someone talk like this:

“To be honest, at the end of the day you are literally going get into trouble, seriously. I mean, you better be careful, if you know what I mean. I am just saying.”

Or this:

“Awesome! This is, like, I mean, totally seriously, like, the most epic band I have ever heard. You know what I’m saying. I am literally going to, like, die if I can’t go and see them.”

Some might argue it is just teenagers. No. I believe that every decade has their favorites. For me, the two examples show this nicely where the first one would typically come from someone a little older and the second from someone of a younger generation.

We seem to use these words to fill pauses in our conversations. My recommendation is to actually pause, instead of bombarding people with meaningless words that simply make it more difficult (and exhausting) to understand what someone is saying. Pauses are fine! Pauses are natural.

Here are my top ten most irritating filler phrases:

1. “At the end of the day” – What does that even mean? Does it mean later? Just leave it out!
2. “To be honest” – Why, are you normally not honest with me? What a crazy thing to say!
3. “If you know what I mean” – If I don’t know what you mean I would probably tell you. I don’t need a prompt.
4. “You know” – Is this a question or a statement?
5. “Having said that” – Yes, you have just said that. I was here, you have been speaking to me and I don’t need you to tell me that you have just said something to me!
6. “Like” – This is especially annoying if it is inserted a number of times into every single sentence. Why, oh, why?
7. “Literally” – Should mean ‘figuratively’ or exactly as you say. It makes so sense to ‘literally explode’ or to ‘literally die’.
8. “I am just saying’” – Yes, I have heard it. Should this make me feel better about the fact that you have just offended me or said something that didn’t make sense?
9. “Seriously” – Are you saying that you are telling me the truth or are you using it as a replacement for ‘yeah’ – I am, like, seriously confused!
10. "I mean" – Some people litter this phrase into every single sentence they say. It must be one of the most meaningless phrases of all.

So, is it just me? Or do these words drive you nuts too? No seriously, like, totally 'comment' on this post! I am just saying, if you know what I mean? Finally, feel free to add other phrases you find particularly infuriating into the comment field – let’s make it the most complete list, like, I mean, seriously, EVER!

Bernard Marr

How to Self-Promote without Being a Jerk

Is it possible to genuinely be interested in the needs of others, and still promote yourself? Absolutely, otherwise all the good people would be starving in the streets. But doing so requires that you skip the sort of "me first", self-centered promotion that many utilize.

Here are some tips for getting the right kind of attention:

Start with the facts. Keep your resume, bio and LinkedIn profile in perfect order. Be factual, clear and complete; If you doubled sales in a year, say so.

Plenty of people do the opposite: they make boastful claims in an article or email, but their profile is lacking the most basic details.

Make it very easy for people to get facts about what you have accomplished. The key word here is "facts." Don't brag, just tell the truth.

Acknowledge others. State your accomplishments in terms of how you have helped others. If you have clients, list the ways they have benefitted from working with you. If you volunteer, be proactive in supporting your favorite non-profits. When your team wins, give credit to the other team members.

Be helpful. The best articles, blog posts, comments and discussion topics serve to help other people. The wrong way to get a new client is to say, "I'm the best, hire me." The right way is to be so helpful that it becomes obvious to others that you are someone who adds value and brings the right attitude to tough challenges.

Beware... people are very good at spotting insincere contributions. Don't simply pretend to help others; actually help them.

Share freely. Few things bother people more than a "teaser" article that forces readers to share their contact information before gaining access to more valuable content. I get the sales and marketing reasons for using such an approach, but a far better strategy is to share freely and make it easy for people to contact you if they value what you have shared.

Be expert. It is much better to be expert than to say you are an expert. If you have worthwhile capabilities, use them. Write a book that imparts genuine insights. Teach others valuable skills. Be calm and focused in stressful situations. Look for actual solutions, instead of simply parroting tired, old phrases. Use your abilities in ways that other people value.

When you don't know the answer, just say so. It is human nature to fall into the trap of thinking you have all the answers. Newsflash: no one has all the answers. If you want to earn credibility, be the first to admit when you are over your head. Even better, send people to other experts who are equipped to answer their current questions; paradoxically, doing so will raise your credibility.

One last caution... don't be full of yourself. Never use these words to describe yourself: thought leader, visionary, insightful, or genius.

And please - if you are over the age of 20, never put your GMAT, LSAT, or SAT scores on your profile. Once you get into a school, it is bad form to tell others how you did it. Listing your board scores is equivalent to saying, "I'm smart, but I lack common sense."

Bruce Kasanoff

Editiorial: Stop Using These 30 Phrases At Work!

I reckon every office or workplace has one of those people that are just full of jargon-ridden management drivel. Does this kind of 'management speak' remind you of someone at your work place: "Before going forward we have to touch base and reach out to our key stakeholders so that we can drill down into the key issues that are not yet on our radar and catch the low-hanging fruits..."

Are you surrounded by people who annoyingly can't get enough of the management gobbledygook and who utter one jargon buzzword after another? Are your meetings buzzing with so much management lingo that you find it hard to get to the real meaning of what is being said? The problem I have with these phrases is that they sound so pretentious and often are counter-productive because they irritate people so much and deflect from the real meaning.

Below are my top 30 most irritating and overused phrases we hear at work. I am sure you have others that you can add to this list. Let's make it the most comprehensive list of unnecessary management drivel ever - Please add your ones using the comment field!

For me, these are my top 30 most irritating jargon phrases and words used at work:

1. Going forward
2. Drill-down
3. End of play
4. Touch base
5. It's on my radar
6. No brainer
7. Best of breed
8. Low hanging fruit
9. Reach out
10. Dive deeper
11. Think outside the box
12. Positive momentum
13. Execute
14. Milestones
15. Run the numbers
16. Touch points
17. Keep your eye on the ball
18. Back to the drawing board
19. Get the ball rolling
20. Bang for your buck
21. Close the deal
22. Leverage
23. Shift paradigm
24. Move the needle
25. Game-changing
26. Move the goal post
27. Value added
28. Win-win
29. Across the piece
30. All hands on deck

What do you think? Do you agree? Are these the most irritating phrases? Please let me know which ones you would add to this list!

How Networking Can Help You Become the Best Version of Yourself

We all know we should be networking throughout our career, but that doesn't mean we're actually doing it. It takes time and a lot of energy, and it can be really hit-or-miss whether it's worth your while.

Which is why I'm so intrigued by the concept in Pamela Ryckman's book, Stiletto Network: Inside the Women's Power Circles That Are Changing the Face of Business.

Ryckman has discovered an alternative type of network that's not only effective but fun, where women come together to share ideas, exchange advice and even invest in new companies. She's found that small groups of women yield powerful results in business — creating billions of dollars in transactions, snagging corporate board seats and funding companies. All because they've built strong friendships with like-minded professionals who serve as sounding boards and cheerleaders to help them along the way.

LINKEDIN: How can busy professionals find time to network?

RYCKMAN: They key is to make it fun, so it doesn't feel like work.

When I began to unearth these groups across the nation, I learned that members never thought they were "networking" in the traditional sense. They thought they were having dinner with their girlfriends, having fun and helping each other.

They didn't arrive at the table with an angle, and they weren't trying to shake down other women for their connections. When they shared of themselves -- offering guidance, intel, or insight, or making introductions and recommendations -- they weren't putting a dollar in the relationship bank with the intention to withdraw it someday. Instead they were spending time listening to and advocating for treasured friends. So it wasn't hard to find time.

Stiletto Networks enable women to do what men have done since time immemorial: merge business and friendship, and capitalize on connections. Women are now doing deals not because of affirmative action or an altruistic intent to lift up the gender, but because it is smart business with people they know and trust. And in the process they're having so much fun!

LINKEDIN: What are the benefits of a networking group?

RYCKMAN: I talk about a lot of high-powered women in the book, but it’s important to remember they weren’t all wealthy or accomplished when they started these groups. They credit these groups with cheering them on, giving them courage, and facilitating their success. And they say that having the support and validation from other women – finding women who love you but also give you a kick in the pants when necessary – made all the difference.

What’s so refreshing is that in these groups, there’s no singular definition for success. Being a CEO isn’t necessary or right for all women. Stiletto Networks aren’t about getting to the next rung on the ladder; they’re about living your best life, feeling happy and whole and fulfilled. They encourage each woman to become the best version of herself.

Jacky Carter

TECH NEWS: Instagram Cracks Down On Connected Apps Using “Insta” And “Gram”

Instagram has updated its brand guidelines to ban apps that feature either the word ‘Insta’ or ‘Gram’ in their names, and it has begun sending emails to existing apps requesting that they change those components  ’within a reasonable period’.

The emails specifically call out a few updates to the Instagram Brand Guidelines that restrict the use of things like logos and the full ‘Instagram’ name. Now, they’re even more specific. An email sent to the Luxogram team, for instance, reads as follows (emphasis ours).

We appreciate your interest in developing products that help people share with Instagram. While we encourage developers to build great apps with Instagram, we cannot allow other applications to look like they might be official Instagram applications or endorsed or sponsored by us.

As we hope you can appreciate, protection of its well-known trademarks is very important to Instagram. For example, it has always been against our guidelines to use a name that sounds or looks like “Instagram” or copies the look and feel of our application. Similarly, as we have clarified in the new guidelines, use of “INSTA” and “GRAM” for an application that works with Instagram is harmful to the Instagram brand. It is important that you develop your own distinctive branding for your applications, and use Instagram’s trademarks only as specifically authorized under our policies.

The two new points that Instagram indicates that Luxogram is treading on are the fact that it uses ‘gram’ in its name, and that (a highly customized variant of) the camera logo is being used. Instagram notes that a response to the email is expected within 48 hours and that a ‘reasonable period’ will be provided to fix these items.

Though the Instagram name itself has always been protected by trademark and by the company’s API guidelines, the terms ‘Insta’ and ‘Gram’ have not. In fact, until the recent changes to the brand policies, use of those terms were actually encouraged by Instagram’s API documentation. You could use ‘Insta’ or ‘Gram’, but not both together in the name of the app.

So the new rules exhibit a pulling back of sorts when it comes to the branding and naming of apps that connect to Instagram. While Instagram, and by extension Facebook, cannot stop apps that don’t use its API from using the terms, the continued use of that connection is now dependent upon apps not using either term in their names. We’ve reached out to Facebook for comment.

And well, that’s most of them. Statigram, Luxogram, Webstagram, Gramfeed, Instadrop,Instagallery and dozens more use either phrase. All of them will need to be re-branded entirely under the new rules. Statigram especially is a very useful tool that offers a host of statistics about your Instagram account that are not surfaced by Instagram itself.

And these aren’t tiny little sites, Luxogram was still serving 1 million people a month and Statigram also appears to do a brisk business judging from the prolific use of its hashtag on both Instagram and Twitter. Luxogram’s creator says that he’s unlikely to make all of the changes that Instagram wants, and will probably shut it down for good. Others could be in the same boat.

So, can you blame Facebook for protecting the valuable Instagram brand name? No, not really. But it does show that there has been a change in posture from the early days when connected apps helped the service to grow, and it welcomed the additional exposure. Now, it has its self-propelling growth curve and it’s reigning in anything it believes might be a point of confusion, driving people to the Instagram apps and web client.

Sounds like another company we know well doesn’t it?

Source: TECHCRUNCH

The Highest ROI Management Tool in Business

This image was recently emailed to one of the senior-most technology executives at LinkedIn. In case you can't read it, the text says:

"Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful."

Contrary to what you might be thinking, the email didn't come from an eternally optimistic employee who cheerleads regardless of outcomes or a feel-good management coach whose office is plastered with posters defining "persistence," "teamwork," or "dedication."

It came from an engineer whose team has worked tirelessly over a period of years to develop and maintain an important back-end technology for the company. It's the kind of technology that just works, and subsequently, makes LinkedIn work. It's also the kind of technology that is so fundamental to what we do that it becomes easy to overlook -- unless, of course, it's not operating as expected. Then the team is inundated with questions about what's wrong, when it will be fixed, and how they can put measures in place to ensure it doesn't break again.

The engineer who sent the image to the executive added his own short message:

"This is what I feel after reading [your] email."

Other members of the engineer's team sent emails with similarly effusive sentiments. If you've ever worked closely with a team of highly talented, hardcore engineers you know that this show of unbridled happiness can be a bit unusual (to put it mildly.) So what had gotten them so enthused? An email written by the executive explaining how important the team was, how much value they had created, and his appreciation for their consistent diligence, perseverance, and excellence. Essentially, they were responding to a simple "Thank you."

The highest ROI management tool I know is one that is available to everyone, costs essentially nothing, and is a proven driver of workplace productivity. That tool is gratitude.

As obvious as this may sound to some, it is oftentimes overlooked, particularly in companies and among teams for whom seemingly no results are good enough and no bar is ever set high enough. Yet, developing a high-performance culture and one that encourages the expression of gratitude shouldn't be at odds. To the contrary, recognition can be an invaluable source of motivation and subsequently inspire people to do their best work. Looking back on my career, I've seen and experienced this dynamic more times than I can count, and conversely, have witnessed the negative repercussions of managers who take their teams for granted.

Here are a few things to consider the next time you're inclined to show your appreciation for a job well done:

1. Be thoughtful

Not all thank yous are created equal. Be thoughtful about the how. Sometimes it's best to do it in person, in the moment. Other times, an email or call might make sense, especially if the person is remote. Some of the most memorable thank yous I've received were handwritten notes (a few of which I still keep on a table behind my desk in the office).

Reid Hoffman, the founder of LinkedIn, has elevated this kind of recognition to an art form. For example, mention offhandedly to him that you like dark chocolate, and don't be surprised if several months later, he returns back from his latest trip to Europe with a few specialty bars he purchased for you, inevitably delivered with a resounding thanks for the positive difference you're making to the company.

2. Be genuine

More often than not, the words you communicate are not nearly as important as the thought and energy behind them. The person on the receiving end can tell the difference between someone going through the motions and deeply heartfelt appreciation. When it comes to expressing gratitude, always be 100% genuine.

For example, the next time an email thread starts up congratulating a team on their most recent win, try to refrain from adding the fifth or sixth "Great job!" and give some thought to why you're appreciative for their specific accomplishment. Conveying the latter will make all the difference.

Recently, I was asked to join one of our teams in celebrating their recent launch of a major product initiative. In addition to the standard t-shirts, cupcakes, and group photo, the team member who organized the event also asked another exec and me to share the best compliment we had heard about the product, and some of the key learnings we took away from the launch. The team was so appreciative of the positive feedback that we ended up receiving thank-yous for our thank-yous.

3. Pick your spots

When thinking about when to give thanks, make sure to apply The Goldilocks Principle: Compliment someone too often and your words will ultimately ring hollow; don't say thank-you enough and your top talent will ultimately feel so under-appreciated you'll potentially face retention issues. However, express appreciation at just the right time and you'll make a huge difference in the way that person thinks about their role and what it means to be a part of your team.

For those more quantitatively inclined, there has actually been research done on the optimal ratio to achieve when communicating positive vs. negative feedback. It's called the Losada Ratio (and the answer is 2.9x.)

4. Solicit suggestions

When your organization is smaller, and everyone is located in one place, it's fairly easy to be aware of who is doing what and is most deserving of praise. However, as a successful organization inevitably scales to larger numbers of employees and multiple offices around the world, it can become more challenging to stay on top of the day-to-day progress of the team. One way of overcoming this dynamic is by making sure you remain in the flow of information regarding their wins, e.g. dashboards, wikis, weekly updates, etc. At LinkedIn, we conduct a global all-hands every other week which provides a natural channel to identify and recognize some of the team's most important accomplishments.

Another effective technique is to just ask. From time to time, remind your directs to mention individuals or teams you may have less direct exposure to, but who they feel are deserving of a special call-out. The further away from headquarters they sit, and the more junior they are, the better. You'll be amazed at how appreciative the people on the receiving end of those calls and emails will be.

5. Learn how to take a compliment

The better you are at receiving a compliment, the more effective you'll be at giving one. Many people struggle when on the receiving end of a kind word, inevitably looking down at their shoes, shuffling uncomfortably, and mumbling something about how it was truly a team effort. While humility is a highly valued trait, disconnection is not, yet the latter is typically what happens when these scenarios play out.

The next time someone compliments you on a job well done, try grounding yourself from the feet up, look the person straight in the eye, and let them know how much it means to you. That sense of recognition and connection is what we're all trying to achieve. It's also what ultimately makes the difference between a perfunctory thank you and an expression of gratitude the recipient won't soon forget.

One last note: Every now and again, the same senior tech executive I mentioned earlier will remind me of the first time I shared my views with him on the importance of gratitude. Despite the fact that conversation took place nearly eight years ago, he thanks me every time. The most recent example occurred just a couple of weeks ago. It was ultimately the reason I wrote this post.

Author: Jeff Weiner

Foster a Culture of Gratitude

In the movie Remember the Titans, Coach Herman Boone takes his high school football team to the battleground of Gettysburg. Having inherited a fractured and divided squad, Coach Boone implores the players to "take a lesson from the dead. If we don't come together, right now on this hallowed ground, we too will be destroyed, just like they were." Coach Boone then establishes the primacy of an important team virtue: "I don't care if you like each other right now, but you will respect each other."

In every workplace and on every team, all people have the innate desire to feel appreciated and valued by others. Like Coach Boone, leaders of teams — and team members themselves — should work to foster a culture of value and appreciation.

High performing teams have well-defined goals, systems of accountability, clear roles and responsibilities, and open communication. Just as importantly, teams that foster cohesion with a sense of appreciation and gratitude among the team members maximize performance on a number of dimensions. Jon R. Katzenbach and Douglas K. Smith, authors of the Wisdom of Teams, define a high-performing team in part by members' strong personal commitment to the growth and success of each team member and of the team as a whole.

Research on gratitude and appreciation demonstrates that when employees feel valued, they have high job satisfaction, are willing to work longer hours, engage in productive relationships with co-workers and supervisors, are motivated to do their best, and work towards achieving the company's goals. Google, which sits atop many best-places-to-work lists, fosters feelings of employee value through an open culture that promotes employee input, routinely rewards and recognizes performance, and encourages personal growth. In a recent interview, CEO Larry Page stated, "My job as a leader is to make sure everybody in the company has great opportunities, and that they feel they're having a meaningful impact and are contributing to the good of society."

And consider the consequences of not fostering a culture of gratitude: A study of over 1,700 employees conducted in 2012 by the American Psychological Association (APA) indicated that more than half of all employees intended to search for new jobs because they felt underappreciated and undervalued.

Several recent articles point out the importance of saying "thank you" and giving specific praise to employees when earned in genuine, honest, and heartfelt ways. Mark Gaston's blog on How to Give a Meaningful Thank-you is full of great advice such as sharing with employees how their contributions had personal significance for the leader and team.
In addition to these very important gestures of thanks, recent research suggests that a leader can enhance a culture of gratitude in the following ways.

1. Help others develop. Interestingly, the APA study indicated that 70% of employees feel valued at work when they have opportunities for growth and development. While promotion opportunities within companies may sometimes be limited, you can still invest in team members' professional development through training, assignment to new and interesting projects, participation on task forces, and exposure to new and interesting different areas through cross-training. Employees frequently have skills that extend beyond the position for which the company hired them. Additionally, they typically grow their skills over time. Leveraging these broad skill sets can lead to greater engagement and satisfaction.
2. Involve employees. Team members feel valued when they have an opportunity to take part in decision-making, problem-solving, and to use their skills to benefit the organization. A 2012 study by the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) showed the importance of employees' opportunities to use skills and abilities, with 63% of respondents listing the ability to use their skills as the top driver of their job satisfaction.
3. Support camaraderie and collegiality. I conducted a study many years ago on the positive benefits of friendship in the workplace. Camaraderie in the workplace can lead to greater job satisfaction and commitment to the organization and doing a job well. Leaders should foster collegiality, help to eliminate toxic and dysfunctional team behaviors, and create opportunities for team members other than on work projects. At Google, the games/toys the company provides allow for entertaining and informal interactions among colleagues. These positive and fun feelings carry over when the colleagues work on projects together. The SHRM study in 2012 found employees' relationships with their co-workers was the second highest factor related to their connection and commitment to the organization. Team leaders may also consider using social contracts, explicit agreements on how team members interact, to help shape positive behaviors within their teams.

Taking the time and effort to create a culture that values and appreciates the diversity and similarity within a team can reap great rewards in terms of performance and satisfaction of the entire team. At the end of the day, this principle is really very simple: we all want to feel valued and appreciated. So, in addition to overt recognition to employees, use a variety of ways to build a culture of gratitude.

Article by CHRISTINE M. RIORDAN