Education

A simple thank you

By Meredyth McKenzie

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David Decker
president, Franklin University

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David Decker says that all leaders, at some point, will learn that their success or failure depends not on what they do but on what their people do.

And when that happens, you will be better able to engage your employees’ loyalty and set them up for success.

“Then you have to respect the loyalty that you are able to develop in people who work for you by not placing them in situations where they can’t succeed — so establishing realistic expectations for people,” he says.

Decker follows these rules with his 960 employees at Franklin University, which has an operating budget of $52 million and three campuses in the Columbus area.

Smart Business spoke with Decker about how to respect your employees and set expectations that they can achieve.

Take time to say thank you. You have to honestly believe that the contributions that people make at all different levels are important. People don’t have much difficulty in identifying false opinions and reactions, and they can do that from a leader just as easily as they can with anyone else. If you don’t actually believe in the value of the contributions of others, then that will become evident.

You have to make a conscious effort to say thank you a lot more than almost anyone else you’ll ever meet. Thanking people, and complimenting them in public, is important in engaging their loyalty. There’s a promptness aspect to this — when people do something good ... you ought to acknowledge that when it happens and not six months later. There’s a value in being current and prompt in your expressions of gratitude.

It’s also important to people to have their peers hear the thanks that are expressed to them by people above them in the organization. You want the people who you work with to know that what you’ve done is appreciated by the leadership. Complimenting people openly and in front of others has a multiplier effect.