"What have you done for me lately?"

If I heard that question from one of my children, I would probably experience a physical eruption. Yet, in a business context, we have been trained to understand that daily production is necessary to sustain employment and the organization.

I contend that effective leaders have good memories. Past performance matters. When a team member performs at a very high level, a leader makes a habit of creating dialogue about the performance.

Every time a bar is raised a leader takes note. The opportunity is to create a new normal based on improved performance. If we create new baselines of productivity all other levels of performance are more easily improved.  

When employees achieve a new level of production, leaders celebrate the move and sustain the momentum. Ineffective leaders carry a can of buzz kill into every meeting.

I have heard the phrase "what have you have done for me lately" many times over the course of my career. But, I can't remember one time that question was asked by a leader. The question is almost always asked by a group of employees when describing the corporate culture.

"Don't they remember what we did just last month?" It isn't difficult to conclude that employees who feel unappreciated or forgotten will begin to feel undervalued. 

Underappreciated precedes undervalued.

The important take away for leadership is to create a culture of daily excellence while recognizing and rewarding past performance.

Great meetings begin with a celebration of past performance.

"Finally, brothers, we urge and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as you have learned from us how you ought to walk and to please God, you should excel more and more" (1 Thess. 4:1).

Dr. Steve Greene is the publisher and executive vice president of the media group at Charisma Media and executive producer of the Charisma Podcast Network. His book, Love Leads: The Spiritual Connection Between Your Relationships and Productivity, is now available.

Leaders, Dr. Greene wants to help you understand the spiritual connection between relationships and productivity. Read his new blog, here.

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Dr. Steve Greene is now sharing stories, teachings, and conversations with guests who lead with love on Love Leads, a new podcast. Listen now.

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