Book Brief: The Invisible Employee

The message in this business fable is simple: Employees work harder for bosses who make them feel valued and appreciated. The authors, executives at the O.C. Tanner Co., say most managers are not good at acknowledging the contributions their workers make, but that the skill can be learned in three ways: by announcing the behavior you want; by helping employees understand how to achieve that behavior; and by celebrating their actions—publicly—when they act the way you want them to. Public recognition, the authors add, also serves to send a message about what is important to the entire organization.