earning brownie points inside a company
February 10, 2010 6:33 AM Subscribe
I'm interested in creating positive capital with people in my company, meaning accruing brownie points I can use to get work done in various means. What are some formal and informal ways I can do this.
This question is about how to acquire 'internal capital' within a company. That means the formal and informal ways people create a positive bank account with others so they can get things done that involve others' work and cooperation.
I've just started a new position in a small manufacturing firm, maybe 50 employees or so. I've been fairly independent in my career to date, so never have had to create relationships on this level within a company day to day.
I remember watching a documentary about a Los Angeles teacher who had a famous classroom. One of his innovations was to create a class capital system where the kids were earning and spending class $. There was an accounting system and some fairly nice items you could earn through effort and saving.
This led me to think about whether there were companies who have instituted ways to accumulate internal capital that you could 'spend' on getting other workers help on special projects or ultimately perhaps to buy something or get a day off, etc. I don't think this system is incorporated anywhere but perhaps it is. If so, I'd love to see info about that.
In any event, I find myself needing to put work into various people's queues in order to get things accomplished. This work may get priority or may be just another piece of paper on their desk. What are some ways I can create internal capital with people so they feel encouraged or put high priority on projects I am working on?
I understand some of this is psychological, being positive, having good expectations, thanking people, being a good co-worker and so forth.
Working with others and getting tasks accomplished is part of the job.
In the absence of a gregarious personality that naturally creates people bonds and trust (I'm okay at this, not great), how can I build internal capital with people in the company person by person?
This question is about how to acquire 'internal capital' within a company. That means the formal and informal ways people create a positive bank account with others so they can get things done that involve others' work and cooperation.
I've just started a new position in a small manufacturing firm, maybe 50 employees or so. I've been fairly independent in my career to date, so never have had to create relationships on this level within a company day to day.
I remember watching a documentary about a Los Angeles teacher who had a famous classroom. One of his innovations was to create a class capital system where the kids were earning and spending class $. There was an accounting system and some fairly nice items you could earn through effort and saving.
This led me to think about whether there were companies who have instituted ways to accumulate internal capital that you could 'spend' on getting other workers help on special projects or ultimately perhaps to buy something or get a day off, etc. I don't think this system is incorporated anywhere but perhaps it is. If so, I'd love to see info about that.
In any event, I find myself needing to put work into various people's queues in order to get things accomplished. This work may get priority or may be just another piece of paper on their desk. What are some ways I can create internal capital with people so they feel encouraged or put high priority on projects I am working on?
I understand some of this is psychological, being positive, having good expectations, thanking people, being a good co-worker and so forth.
Working with others and getting tasks accomplished is part of the job.
In the absence of a gregarious personality that naturally creates people bonds and trust (I'm okay at this, not great), how can I build internal capital with people in the company person by person?
Whenever you ask someone for a favor, make it as easy for them to help you as possible. State exactly what you need, when you need it, what the parameters are, who else is involved, and how best to contact you if they have any questions, and if they might find supporting materials helpful, supply those as well. Build a reputation of being helpful and easy to work with.
posted by aimedwander at 6:54 AM on February 10, 2010
posted by aimedwander at 6:54 AM on February 10, 2010
Report good results widely. If a coworker is really helpful or comes up with a brilliant solution, make sure a lot of people know about it. This kind of talk will filter both up and down in your organization, and it builds the kind of capital you want on all levels.
posted by philokalia at 7:23 AM on February 10, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by philokalia at 7:23 AM on February 10, 2010 [3 favorites]
Food. Food always works.
posted by functionequalsform at 7:27 AM on February 10, 2010
posted by functionequalsform at 7:27 AM on February 10, 2010
philokalia's advice is generally good, though I'd de-emphasize "widely". If you're going to praise someone's work, the key people to do it in front of are your boss and their boss- do it too much in public and you look like a suck-up.
Also, take an interest in what the people you work with do. Not just for you, but for everyone else. I've found that showing an appreciation for where your work fits into their schedule makes people more inclined to help you out when you need it.
posted by mkultra at 7:35 AM on February 10, 2010
Also, take an interest in what the people you work with do. Not just for you, but for everyone else. I've found that showing an appreciation for where your work fits into their schedule makes people more inclined to help you out when you need it.
posted by mkultra at 7:35 AM on February 10, 2010
I believe that actual brownies (or another dessert) will help you get brownie points. Make sure that people know they’re from you. Also, doing small things like emptying the office dishwasher when it’s full.
posted by dinty_moore at 7:42 AM on February 10, 2010
posted by dinty_moore at 7:42 AM on February 10, 2010
I recently read Keith Ferrazzi's Never Eat Alone and one of the most resounding things I took from it is that good networkers are people who take an earnest interest in the people they want to meet and help them without expecting a return. I'm a lot more likely to help a co-worker who puts the extra time into asking how my latest hike was or who went out of their way to track down something for a project of mine they're not even working on.
If you're extremely helpful and you show an interest in the humans behind the favours, the favours will come.
posted by Hiker at 8:15 AM on February 10, 2010
If you're extremely helpful and you show an interest in the humans behind the favours, the favours will come.
posted by Hiker at 8:15 AM on February 10, 2010
Functionequalsform is not being glib. Humans have some (apparently hard-wired) behaviors about food sharing and its implications.
posted by orthogonality at 8:21 AM on February 10, 2010
posted by orthogonality at 8:21 AM on February 10, 2010
Linden the company that makes Second Life has a system called the Love machine which is basically a reputation based currency system for businesses. It appears to be similar to other concepts, most recently the whuffie.
Another thing that is in the same vein although not exactly like what you are asking about is a prediction market. These are springing up in various larger organizations, such as Google, and while they are designed more for sharing information about projects, I would think if people are putting money on projects finishing on time that might encourage them to aid the projects they've bet on.
While various alternative currencies are neat ideas, I doubt they should be thought of as principle ways to get your projects done. Instead I would focus on the networking and helping other people that previous posters have suggested.
posted by GhostChe at 10:09 AM on February 10, 2010
Another thing that is in the same vein although not exactly like what you are asking about is a prediction market. These are springing up in various larger organizations, such as Google, and while they are designed more for sharing information about projects, I would think if people are putting money on projects finishing on time that might encourage them to aid the projects they've bet on.
While various alternative currencies are neat ideas, I doubt they should be thought of as principle ways to get your projects done. Instead I would focus on the networking and helping other people that previous posters have suggested.
posted by GhostChe at 10:09 AM on February 10, 2010
One thing I've found helpful (as both someone who gives out work and is assigned work) is making sure all parties know as far in advance as possible that this project might be coming their way.
In other words, don't be the person who [repeatedly] comes running in at the last minute, expecting everyone to drop what they're doing to work on your project. That is a sure-fire way to quickly use up any good will folks might have for you.
Also, and I'm trying to say this in a way that doesn't offend you, but if I knew that a coworker thought of our interactions as "capital" to be withdrawn and deposited, I would feel uncomfortable (and possibly paranoid) interacting with that person. So don't let on that you frame it this way to yourself.
posted by SuperSquirrel at 10:36 AM on February 10, 2010
In other words, don't be the person who [repeatedly] comes running in at the last minute, expecting everyone to drop what they're doing to work on your project. That is a sure-fire way to quickly use up any good will folks might have for you.
Also, and I'm trying to say this in a way that doesn't offend you, but if I knew that a coworker thought of our interactions as "capital" to be withdrawn and deposited, I would feel uncomfortable (and possibly paranoid) interacting with that person. So don't let on that you frame it this way to yourself.
posted by SuperSquirrel at 10:36 AM on February 10, 2010
Just look out for other people and you will build up plenty of good will / political capital / etc. Someone did a good job, tell the world about. Someone needs help, help them out. Open literal and figurative doors for people. Share information. Don't knock people down, try to help them up. Even if someone is sh*t, do your best to find where they can land and be successful. Be a team player. Have candy at your desk. Have a good attitude. It really is that simple. And as said above, don't treat this an accounting exercise.
posted by kaizen at 11:16 AM on February 10, 2010
posted by kaizen at 11:16 AM on February 10, 2010
Learn people's names. Ask about their kids. Remember birthdays. I used to work with a salesguy who, when he called to ask for help, always remembered to ask about my kid, by name. I know he has a really good contact manager that made this easy, but it still worked to make me like him, and his sales stats were always excellent. This works better if you like people and care about their lives at least a little.
posted by theora55 at 12:02 PM on February 10, 2010
posted by theora55 at 12:02 PM on February 10, 2010
You can generally exchange real brownies for brownie points.
posted by Jacqueline at 12:44 PM on February 10, 2010
posted by Jacqueline at 12:44 PM on February 10, 2010
The ctmf five-step process:
a) is most important. Make it very easy for people to get what you do out of you. With a smile. Even on short notice. Done right the first time, and even a bit above and beyond what is expected. Make coming to diode a pleasant experience that people look forward to.
b) Make sure a) is solid.
c) Get around. Leave your work area once in a while and explore, sit with someone else in the cafeteria and ask what they do, be curious in general.
d) Volunteer to help someone else when you aren't too busy.
e) After you do part a) always, and part c) and d) occasionally, people will be jumping up to help you when you need it, even without being asked. There's no quid pro quo or brown-nosing your way into it. People do favors for good people. That's it. That's the whole trick.
posted by ctmf at 2:49 PM on February 10, 2010
a) is most important. Make it very easy for people to get what you do out of you. With a smile. Even on short notice. Done right the first time, and even a bit above and beyond what is expected. Make coming to diode a pleasant experience that people look forward to.
b) Make sure a) is solid.
c) Get around. Leave your work area once in a while and explore, sit with someone else in the cafeteria and ask what they do, be curious in general.
d) Volunteer to help someone else when you aren't too busy.
e) After you do part a) always, and part c) and d) occasionally, people will be jumping up to help you when you need it, even without being asked. There's no quid pro quo or brown-nosing your way into it. People do favors for good people. That's it. That's the whole trick.
posted by ctmf at 2:49 PM on February 10, 2010
Response by poster: Okay, thanks for the tips.
My question is not about creating a balance sheet on people's help and assistance, like calculating every time someone gives or receives.
It's more along the lines of how can you creative positive influences with people that incline them to help you.
The part about the capital is simply a recognition that people are motivated by gain.
In this position, I am tending so far to be the one who is asking for help getting projects going or for help with pieces that are not under my control. So far, it's going pretty well simply expressing the need and asking for assistance and giving it in return.
Still, I perceive that some folks are so snowed or I just don't have a lot of personal capital saved up with them that my requests are going on the bottom of the queue regardless of their value to the company overall.
Probably just part of the human condition. Complexity, primates and production.
posted by diode at 2:57 PM on February 10, 2010
My question is not about creating a balance sheet on people's help and assistance, like calculating every time someone gives or receives.
It's more along the lines of how can you creative positive influences with people that incline them to help you.
The part about the capital is simply a recognition that people are motivated by gain.
In this position, I am tending so far to be the one who is asking for help getting projects going or for help with pieces that are not under my control. So far, it's going pretty well simply expressing the need and asking for assistance and giving it in return.
Still, I perceive that some folks are so snowed or I just don't have a lot of personal capital saved up with them that my requests are going on the bottom of the queue regardless of their value to the company overall.
Probably just part of the human condition. Complexity, primates and production.
posted by diode at 2:57 PM on February 10, 2010
Response by poster: okay, as a final recap. As I thought about this problem, what became clear in my company as an issue is the amount of small jobs, tasks and projects that went undone because no one would take the effort to do them.
Kaizen is a Japanese term meaning small improvements constantly. Companies like Toyota have implemented Kaizen as a way for the worker to contribute small continual improvements to their work flow, continuously working to save time, money, get more efficient.
In my small manufacturing business, continually optimizing the work flow is essential. Plus there's all sorts of optimizations that could and should be done from making visual charts of material locations to organizing materials and so forth. Plus a myriad of small housekeeping jobs that no particular person is responsible for until it gets so bad someone just does it.
I thought about the ways in which a person is motivated to go the extra mile to do some project which adds value.
If they suggest it, they get brownie points for the suggestion, but then they have to do the extra work. If it fails, then perhaps they get negative brownie points. Or, why take on extra work that adds no value to your particular process, like emptying trash cans that everyone is using for example, or optimizing something that isn't directly in your work flow?
What I came up with is a concept called internal capital, or ICE (ooh, nice name!!). Really, it's kaizen points, a way of adding a reward system to the optimization process.
Think of it like the bonus points system for your credit card purchases. If I buy a bunch of stuff on my credit card, I get points that are more or less equivalent to $, roughly 10,000 points = $100.
Once I accumulate enough points, I can spend them in an online store to get something cool. It feels free, because it costs me nothing overtly. Kind of like a piggy bank you can go on a spending spree with.
So, with internal capital, I accumulate points by suggesting ideas, then more points for successfully implementing them. I get points for showing up each day perhaps, I get points for taking on extra tasks that go undone. Eventually I end up with a stash of points.
I can connect my points earned with actual $ saved in a spreadsheet. This project saves the company x $ per day/week/month/year, and I earned X ICE points for doing it. A public acknowledgement to the company of give and return.
Eventually, I may want to trade ICE with other workers for various reasons. At 10,000 points, I can cash in my points for a day off, perhaps to buy something from the company at wholesale.
This whole concept works on the idea that people work for rewards, not money. Any reward is more powerful than thank you's ultimately. There's an accounting system at work that connects the effort to the benefit. Kaizen points would be monitored by a worker's superior, so there's supervision there.
If you want an example of kaizen points, check out Rafe Esquith's classroom where he has implemented classroom currency where kids can rent better desks, buy cool stuff and so forth.
Guess that's the whole idea. Still thinking it through but it seems valid to me. Really, why should I go to extra lengths to assist the company with aspects of its functioning that aren't in my domain and don't benefit me directly unless I get some kind of intrinsic reward, even if a very small one.
posted by diode at 5:25 AM on March 20, 2010
Kaizen is a Japanese term meaning small improvements constantly. Companies like Toyota have implemented Kaizen as a way for the worker to contribute small continual improvements to their work flow, continuously working to save time, money, get more efficient.
In my small manufacturing business, continually optimizing the work flow is essential. Plus there's all sorts of optimizations that could and should be done from making visual charts of material locations to organizing materials and so forth. Plus a myriad of small housekeeping jobs that no particular person is responsible for until it gets so bad someone just does it.
I thought about the ways in which a person is motivated to go the extra mile to do some project which adds value.
If they suggest it, they get brownie points for the suggestion, but then they have to do the extra work. If it fails, then perhaps they get negative brownie points. Or, why take on extra work that adds no value to your particular process, like emptying trash cans that everyone is using for example, or optimizing something that isn't directly in your work flow?
What I came up with is a concept called internal capital, or ICE (ooh, nice name!!). Really, it's kaizen points, a way of adding a reward system to the optimization process.
Think of it like the bonus points system for your credit card purchases. If I buy a bunch of stuff on my credit card, I get points that are more or less equivalent to $, roughly 10,000 points = $100.
Once I accumulate enough points, I can spend them in an online store to get something cool. It feels free, because it costs me nothing overtly. Kind of like a piggy bank you can go on a spending spree with.
So, with internal capital, I accumulate points by suggesting ideas, then more points for successfully implementing them. I get points for showing up each day perhaps, I get points for taking on extra tasks that go undone. Eventually I end up with a stash of points.
I can connect my points earned with actual $ saved in a spreadsheet. This project saves the company x $ per day/week/month/year, and I earned X ICE points for doing it. A public acknowledgement to the company of give and return.
Eventually, I may want to trade ICE with other workers for various reasons. At 10,000 points, I can cash in my points for a day off, perhaps to buy something from the company at wholesale.
This whole concept works on the idea that people work for rewards, not money. Any reward is more powerful than thank you's ultimately. There's an accounting system at work that connects the effort to the benefit. Kaizen points would be monitored by a worker's superior, so there's supervision there.
If you want an example of kaizen points, check out Rafe Esquith's classroom where he has implemented classroom currency where kids can rent better desks, buy cool stuff and so forth.
Guess that's the whole idea. Still thinking it through but it seems valid to me. Really, why should I go to extra lengths to assist the company with aspects of its functioning that aren't in my domain and don't benefit me directly unless I get some kind of intrinsic reward, even if a very small one.
posted by diode at 5:25 AM on March 20, 2010
The part about the capital is simply a recognition that people are motivated by gain.
...
Really, why should I go to extra lengths to assist the company with aspects of its functioning that aren't in my domain and don't benefit me directly unless I get some kind of intrinsic reward, even if a very small one.
I think you're going the wrong way with this as a formal reward system. Sure, you can bribe some people into doing things for little bonuses once in a while. People like being recognized for doing things of their own free will that was not expected of them. They like to be appreciated for the extra effort. Now, if you take a genuine thank-you from a senior manager or a written commendation presented in front of the group by the boss, and reduce it to an accounting detail of "brownie points," it becomes a lot less special. Especially if everyone is getting these every day. The relative unusual-ness is what makes it feel good to receive. I would certainly not give two shits about your brownie points if NOT earning any did me no harm. In fact, I would sneer at the toadies who went around polishing apples for "points." (And I'm probably the farthest from a bad attitude employee you're going to find anywhere)
Because ultimately, the best kind of employee is going to do the kind of thing you're talking about for nothing. That's just the kind of person they are. Recognition is a way of making them feel good about being that kind of person instead of burning out. As soon as you make it a quid-pro-quo, you cheapen the whole thing and make them feel like corporate whores.
And I'm not sure how this relates to your original question about social capital. Were you thinking people could spend their brownie points to raise themselves up on other people's to-do list priority? That will never happen. Business-driven project priority will always trump that, and any other amount of telling people what piece of paper they should look at first is stifling micromanagement of their time. People will always find ways of helping people they like more than people they don't.
posted by ctmf at 6:28 AM on March 21, 2010
...
Really, why should I go to extra lengths to assist the company with aspects of its functioning that aren't in my domain and don't benefit me directly unless I get some kind of intrinsic reward, even if a very small one.
I think you're going the wrong way with this as a formal reward system. Sure, you can bribe some people into doing things for little bonuses once in a while. People like being recognized for doing things of their own free will that was not expected of them. They like to be appreciated for the extra effort. Now, if you take a genuine thank-you from a senior manager or a written commendation presented in front of the group by the boss, and reduce it to an accounting detail of "brownie points," it becomes a lot less special. Especially if everyone is getting these every day. The relative unusual-ness is what makes it feel good to receive. I would certainly not give two shits about your brownie points if NOT earning any did me no harm. In fact, I would sneer at the toadies who went around polishing apples for "points." (And I'm probably the farthest from a bad attitude employee you're going to find anywhere)
Because ultimately, the best kind of employee is going to do the kind of thing you're talking about for nothing. That's just the kind of person they are. Recognition is a way of making them feel good about being that kind of person instead of burning out. As soon as you make it a quid-pro-quo, you cheapen the whole thing and make them feel like corporate whores.
And I'm not sure how this relates to your original question about social capital. Were you thinking people could spend their brownie points to raise themselves up on other people's to-do list priority? That will never happen. Business-driven project priority will always trump that, and any other amount of telling people what piece of paper they should look at first is stifling micromanagement of their time. People will always find ways of helping people they like more than people they don't.
posted by ctmf at 6:28 AM on March 21, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
Just do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Etc. If someone asks you to do something, do it. If someone needs help getting something done, help them. If someone is negotiating with you over a plate of responsibilities don't be an ass but rather conciliatory.
Etc.
posted by dfriedman at 6:49 AM on February 10, 2010