The Value of Employee Recognition: Who’s Packing Your Parachute?

By Henry Evans

Charles Plumb, a 1965 naval Academy graduate, was enjoying dinner with his wife at one of their favorite restaurants when a man at a nearby table exclaimed, "You’re Plumb! You flew jet fighters in Vietnam from the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk! You were shot down in ’69! My God, it’s good to see you!"

Indeed, Charles Plumb had flown jets from Kitty Hawk. After 75 missions, his plane took a hit that brought it down in enemy territory. He was able to eject himself and launch his parachute before being captured. He spent the next six years in solitary confinement.

Plumb didn’t recognize this friendly stranger, "How did you know that?"

The man responded, "I packed your parachute! I guess it worked!"

Plumb couldn’t sleep that night for trying to place the man’s face. His name didn’t ring a bell either. He wondered how many times he might have passed him on the Kitty Hawk, how many times they might have spoken to each other. Plumb couldn’t shake the nagging truth: he didn’t remember the individual responsible for saving his life in Vietnam because fighter pilots didn’t typically have much to do with the boat crew. But the sailor sure knew Plumb. Plumb thought about the many hours the sailor must have spent carefully folding the silks of each chute. The sailor was fully aware of how important his work was – and who it was for. And Plumb didn’t even remember this guy!

This is a true story; you may already be familiar with it. Now Plumb is a business consultant. He frequently lectures about his experiences and asks his audiences, "Who’s packing your parachute?"

Don’t we all have someone that "packs our chute" each day? It may be the programmer that maintains our computer system, or the supervisor that manages a department of professionals exceptionally well, or the custodian that sweeps the floor. Do you take too much for granted in your business? Are you out of touch with the contributions your people make? Are you going through the motions of running your company without acknowledging the human beings that make it possible?

Don’t feel bad. We’ve all done it. It’s easy to slip into auto-pilot. That doesn’t mean it’s okay to stay there. Employee recognition is a fundamental component of what’s fast becoming the oxymoron of the day in corporate America: Employee Loyalty. People naturally want to work for someone that appreciates their efforts. Certainly competitive salaries and incentive pay plans motivate folks too. But at the end of the day, people work for people. How in touch with yours are you?

Here are some simple things we typically suggest to our clients to re-connect with the people who are keeping their business afloat:

1) Write a thank you letter (hand written) to your top performers. Send it to their home. Tell them what you appreciate about their work. Be specific.

2) Recognize individuals in front of their peers with a rotating office performance award each month. Put their name on it. Be there when it’s presented to them.

3) Take a walk around your office at 4:30 one afternoon. See who’s still working. Call them by name when you say hello.

4) Take a quick quiz to gauge how in touch you are with your organization:

The Bottom Line

These are critical issues that ultimately determine the health of your business. They directly affect employee productivity, retention and recruitment. If you’re not certain you really understand the climate of your workplace, do something about it. Take an informal poll within your organization. Find out what the issues are. Implement some of the recognition ideas presented here. Or, consider more structured research such as an Employee Attitude Study. Sometimes an independent perspective is necessary to isolate key issues. Remember, it’s your people that run the business – not the other way around. Never underestimate the value of your parachute.

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