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Rick Saldan is an excellent
inspirational speaker who tailored the seminar to the needs of the
individual students being instructed. This office thanks the Mayors Office
of Information Services for having such a vendor.
Timothy K. Lynch
Office of Fleet Management
City of Philadelphia
Rick has a magical approach that provides a clear and
concise message specifically designed to the needs of his
audience. Rick will provide all the motivational magic you
will ever need, propelling your organization to the next
level of greater success.
Thomas Mulhern
Frontier Communications
Rick Saldan is a compelling and absorbing motivational speaker and
magician.I have been to five of his
Motivational Magic presentations and it is amazing how he keeps our
college audiences on the edge of their seats.
A highly entertaining performer with great comedy flair. Rich content to
increase students' productivity, peak performance and motivation. If you
need an outstanding motivational speaker for colleges, Rick is definitely
one of the world's greatest speakers and magicians!
Dr. Rob Gilbert, Sport Psychologist,
Montclair State University
Rick Saldan has the wit, wisdom and sorcery of a wizard. He
has a dynamic personality, and all will enjoy his
captivating stories, comedy and magic!
Dennis Slaughter
Credit Suisse First Boston
Rick Saldan delivers a first-class show! A pro in every
sense of the word. Funny, unique, entertaining and polished.
Brian Letscher, Actor
Hawaii Five-O, NCIS, Cold Case, Law & Order and The Mentalist.
Rick Saldan is a wonderful combination of master magician, comic
improviser and first class speaker. The audience loved his program, which
was music to our ears. If you love celebrity motivational speakers such as
Tom Hopkins, Dale Carnegie and Zig Ziglar, then you'll love Rick!
Dottie Burman, President
Burtley Productions, Inc.
Rick Saldan
is an incredibly talented performer and motivational speaker with great insight. He shares many powerful
motivational messages that will enhance your life for the better!
Jack Murray, President
Dream Illusions
Rick is one of the best inspirational speakers on
the scene today. Funny, fun loving and highly energetic. If you want to
make your next event into an extraordinary one, then invite professional
speaker Rick Saldan and his amazing Motivational Magic.
Andres Lara, President
Inspiration Times Magazine
How To Offer Individual Praise Without Undermining Team Efforts Author: Carole Nicolaides
A lot of discussions lately are centered around teamwork and leadership. This is especially an issue after all the leadership scandals that have been brought to light in corporate America this past year. Due to major layoffs, and the loss of exceptional brainpower, there is a huge need for leaders who possess both a heart and a sound knowledge base at the same time. The quest is on! Leadership books outsold all books this summer giving us great insight into the challenges of companies around the world.
So where do you start when creating a great leader? Everybody seems to start with teamwork. Teamwork will lead to excellence, which will eventually translate into better company results. But common approaches to teamwork are lacking. It’s time for a little innovation! Let’s focus on an approach that happens to shock a few people. An approach that is quite different than what management gurus have been preaching for the past 15 years.
If we want people to be good at what they do, love their work, and be proud that they belong to something bigger than themselves, we need to change our traditional management thinking. We, as leaders, need to remind ourselves that people are people and individualism is by no means dead. People still crave individual praise.
I admit as a leader you are walking a fine line between honoring individualism and cultivating teamwork, yet the bottom line is that it can be done. In fact, it MUST be done if you want to recharge your employee’s creative batteries. People’s morale, faith and most importantly loyalty are so low these days. As a leader, you need to use a variety of motivational, and inspirational tactics if you want them to feel self-confident. Without this, you can be sure that they will not leverage all their potential.
Contrary to some beliefs, individual attention will by no means jeopardize your work in building an effective team. Think of it as an opportunity to embrace and inspire individualism without sacrificing the collective effort. Every one of your people is good at something. Find that “something” and allow them to shine through it.
How do you walk that fine line between teamwork and individual praise? Here are a few ideas that you can implement immediately.
§ Acknowledge that everyone has an ego. People need praise. This is a proven fact. But how do you “stroke” someone’s ego without destroying your team? Offer individual praise based on each employee’s contribution to the team. As you speak casually with your team members, look for opportunities to offer accolades. An example would be, “Ellen, you amaze me! Your organizational skills are simply excellent. I don’t know where our team would be without your contributions.” Another way would be to publicly acknowledge each team member in meetings. When the team reaches a goal, praise the team as a whole first then offer a brief statement of how each person’s individual contributions played a vital role in the team’s success. In this way, you can boost an individual’s ego without diminishing the team effort.
§ Acknowledge the “personalization” of work. No doubt you’ve heard the saying, “Don’t take it personally. It’s just business.” The truth is that many people do take business personally. Managers and employees alike are often offended when their department faces budget cuts, or when their projects are tabled. However, for all the negative connotations of “taking it personally,” it really can be beneficial. Encourage your people to take ownership of their work. And praise them for doing so. This is a form of showing commitment to the team and the organization as a whole. It is also an outlet for you to offer individual praise that will benefit both the employee and the team.
§ People understand things differently. How often have you overheard (or be party to) a disagreement that ended with the statement “Oh! I’m sorry. I didn’t understand what you were saying”? Not everyone understands things the same way. When only team praise is offered, many employees will misconstrue your actions. Many will think they hold no personal value to you or to the business. The result? Hurt feelings come into play, and a lack of morale and productivity seep in. By adding a good dose of individual praise to your management mix, you can ensure that each person understands their individual value, and their value to the team.
§ People communicate differently. While some of your people will draw personal satisfaction from receiving team acknowledgement, others will feel undervalued. The reason? People communicate, and receive communication, differently. This fact is the primary reason for offering both individual and team praise. Through group and individual communication, all your employees can receive the encouragement they need to move forward and achieve new levels of productivity and team unity.
Does this approach sound time consuming? It really isn’t. In fact, you will most likely eliminate hours of unnecessary work in addressing negative performances and low performance levels. A quick comment, a short email, or a three sentence handwritten note all work equally well.
People need individual attention. By creating an environment where each person can thrive, and by offering assignments that allow them to gain individual and group praise, you foster a team culture where you and your employees benefit.
Carole is President and Executive Coach of Progressive Leadership, offering executive coaching, organizational development consulting and leadership development training. Improve your business relationships, communication, team performance and bottom line starting now. Visit http://www.progressiveleadership.com for more info & subscriptions to Carole’s FREE Ezine.