Book Review: The Carrot Principle
by Miki Saxon
The Carrot Principle, AKA, How the Best Managers Use Recognition to Engage The People, Retain Talent and Accelerate Performance, by Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton was first published in 2007.
A new, updated, release this month with a new chapter and the results of an extensive 10 year study of 200,000 managers and employees that confirms what most workers have always known—recognition, not just money, is what draws them in, engages them and results in high performance.
But there’s a catch. (There’s always a catch.)
You can’t just start running around throwing recognition and carrots at your people.
There are four basics of good management you need embedded in your culture—but first they need to be embedded in your MAP (mindset, attitude, philosophy™). They are
- Goal Setting;
- Communication;
- Trust; and
- Accountability.
The bad part is that if you don’t already believe in this stuff and have a culture that reflects it then the carrots of employee recognition will be tossed out by your people. Your people aren’t stupid; if you decide after reading the book that recognition is a better way than threats and screaming don’t expect to turn things round overnight. It’s going to take consistant effort over a period of time to convince your people that you’ve changed. How long depends on how bad you were and how sincere your changes are.
The good part is that you don’t have to work in a company or for a boss who thinks that way. Gostick and Elton give multiple examples of how “carrot culture” was implemented without support from either.
Carrot Principle walks you through the process and explains how recognition can be practiced in multiple moments without budget-busting amounts of money.
Recognition leads to extreme engagement and successful managers provide their people with frequent and effective recognition.
Image credit: Simon & Schuster
