William came back from vacation. He walked into the office and was told that there was an envelope and a silver colored cardboard box on the safe for him. He opened the envelope. It was a form letter congratulating him on thirty years of service. In the box was an award pin in honor of his thirty years. Williams supervisor just dropped everything off on his way through town, while William was on vacation. No personal effort was ever made to thank William for his dedication. No handshake. No phone call. Not even an email.

William took the envelope and box and threw them in the trunk of his car where they remain. I asked him why he didnt take them out. He responded, I dont even want to touch them. They make me feel dirty. William is not a problem employee. He knows his job and has never been counseled. Each day he comes to work and does his job without supervision. His supervisor works in an office over one hundred miles away. Most companies would be thrilled to have employees that take no supervision. Many companies recognize that motivated employees are an important part of the work team. Some companies show care and concern for their employees. Some have too many cracks that let recognition opportunities slip through.

The company William works for is not a small company. Its a national company. You would recognize the name. Recognition can be one of the easiest things to accomplish. It lets people know that their work is appreciated. Lack of appreciation is a slap in the face.

William says, Just when I think I cant think any less of the company and management, they come up with something new and my opinion is lowered again. William didnt have long to wait just a couple of months.

On a Wednesday, William reported to work and was told to call about a large luncheon in a nearby city to honor all employees with thirty years of service. The president of the company was even flying in to speak and honor those dedicated employees. People were coming from hundreds and thousands of miles away. Nice. Right? The event obviously took planning and coordination. William was told on Wednesday afternoon. The big deal special luncheon was on Friday, less than two days notice. Somehow, William was overlooked . . . again.

William tried to act like the events didnt bother him and that he wouldnt have gone even with more notice. In reality, he was depressed. In my mind I saw the silver package in my trunk and just kept thinking about wasting thirty years of my life, he confessed.

There is no happy ending to this story. As a matter of fact it got worse. Adding insult to injury, later that day William didnt collect enough from a sale and finished up with a shortage at the till . . . which he had to pay.

In a USA Today article, A snub really does feel like a kick in the gut, writer Maggie Fox says, The feeling is familiar to anyone who has been passed over in picking teams or snubbed at a party a sickening, almost painful feeling in the stomach. Maggie was writing about social distress. A study has been done with functional magnetic imaging that proves that the brain reacts to rejection and snubbing in the same way it reacts to physical pain. The study was published in the October 2003 issue of Science.

A social snub and a big-toe stub can generate a similar response in the brain, suggesting emotional and physical pain are more closely related than was previously thought.
-- Anna Salleh ABC Science Online

While no one in todays business world condones physical violence, its amazing what stress and pain can be inflicted by managers who are ill-equipped, ill-advised and ill-prepared to deal with social interactions and situations in the workplace. William should have been recognized for his thirty years of service. He wasnt. He should have received positive reinforcement for his dedicated work. He didnt. A few kind words could have soothed hurt feelings. Kind words never came. Recognition motivates. Thoughtlessness produces just the opposite affect.

Author Don Doman: Don is a published author of books for small business, corporate video producer, and owner of Ideas and Training (http://www.ideasandtraining.com), which provides business training products. Don also owns and Human Resources Radio (http://www.humanresourcesradio.com), which provides business training programs and previews 24-hours a day.

Build Bridges Not Walls - Employee Recognition
Regular, one-on-one assessments with your staff provide an efficient two-way forum with which to set and review realistic achievement targets, provide feedback on performance, and listen to and consider any problems employees may have. For example, a...

How to Improve Your Self Esteem with Your Subconscious
"What are the most effective techniques for programming the self esteem? I learned that I can not outperform my self esteem. Is it true?"Yes its true. You cannot outperform your self esteem. Your self esteem is your belief in your self, and your beli...

Sony Ericsson w960i One of the Versatile Phones Present Today
Have you ever heard of handwriting recognition technique in any phone? If not then have a look at the new Sony Ericsson W960i which is phone that commands to some very special command from you. You will be amazed to find such nice phone going around....

How to Give and Receive Appreciation
We all deserve to be appreciated, yet we tend to expect others to take notice automatically when we do something worthy of appreciation.Studies show that most people prefer receiving positive recognition more than monetary rewards for their work. Her...

Bad News For Smokers! Ban On Smoking Inflates Quit Smoking Scuffle: Are You Ready To Quit?
Hey Guys! There is a very bad news for you smokers. The governments world over are tightening the noose around smokers by clamping ban on smoking through threatening legislations. Now it will be difficult for you to steal a puff at government buildin...

Bend the Rules and Win!
Give a prize each month to the person who bent the rules in the most effective or customer-pleasing manner.And the prize? Something that bends, of course: exercise bands, a big rubber ball, yoga lessons, a bungee jump, a massage!Got employees working...

Ditch Your Lousy Job For Warm Texas Sunshine With A Refinance Home Loan
Make that career move if you're starting to dread going to office nowadays. It's now or never. You can't waste your time whining and doing nothing about it. A refinance home loan can get you started towards FREEDOM.Follow the sunTired of the cold ...

Get Those Grins: 5 Ways to Arouse Your Employees and Get Them Hyper
As a manager strides into the office among the employees, that manager has the power to positively shift the outlook of the employee for the entire day. You, as manager, are the most vital well-spring of motivation and morale among your employees.Wo...

LG KF510 Blue Vs Sony Ericsson K630
LG electronics has just launched some of their good models of which LG KF510 is one. The phone would be a right choice for you if you are thinking for a change. LG KF510 Blue can be compared with some old models of other brand to find out how it has ...

Filing a Joint Tax Return With Your Spouse
They say the world works on a concept known as balance. To counterbalance the joys of your honeymoon, you get the misery of filing a joint tax return with your spouse.If you have recently married, you are hopefully living a blissful life of humor and...