The Honor Opportunity

I was at an event recently where a lot of start-up business people were coming to tour the facility of an established company. They were there to get some ideas and hands-on guidance. The company owner, Dean, had many of his staff members strategically placed throughout the building to show people how things worked and answer questions.

About an hour into the event, I noticed a rather angry individual who wandered through the crowd and out to another area. I asked one of the staff members who he was, and they answered, "Oh, that's Peter. He's the head of this department." I asked, "Why wasn't he out here with the rest of you? It seems he'd be the natural choice to answer questions since this is his department." And the answer was, "Dean didn't tell him we were all coming."

Do you honor people when the opportunity arises? Do you tell them what a great job they're doing and how appreciated they are? Most importantly, do you do so in front of others?

Telling someone they're great in private but never acknowledging their worth to anyone else is the same as not telling them anything. I can tell you I love coffee, but if you never see me drink any or even show interest in it, you won't believe me.

Dean had an opportunity to honor Peter in front of others, but instead, he ignored him. Please understand that it wasn't so much the visitors that mattered as the fact that Dean failed to honor Peter's position in front of the other staff members. That let them know—intentionally or not—that Peter had little or no value to their boss.

When you have the chance to honor a deserving person on your team, do so. You don't have to have some big trophy and fanfare, but simply telling other people how important this person is in front of them will go a long way toward building loyalty. I have no idea how loyal Peter is to that company, but I doubt he holds Dean in high regard because of how he is treated.

It costs you nothing to say something nice to someone. A kind word of encouragement can mean the difference between a good day and a bad one to somebody who is trying their best. After all, don't you love to hear someone compliment you on a job well done? Of course you do!

Go out today and look for a reason to say something nice about someone. If they are valuable to your organization, tell them! And do so in front of others if possible.

Never miss any "Honor Opportunity" you are given! I can promise you it will bring lasting rewards to the success of your organization.