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	Pen Pals
	June 17th, 2018
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	I was looking into some leadership and management training stuff
	recently [0] and it's been really helping me make progress as
	a team leader. There's plenty you can learn on-the-job, but it's
	helpful to get good advice from a trusted source.

	[0] LEADx

	While looking at content on engagement I ran across a really
	enlightening piece of information. People tend to value praise
	based on the effort put in to giving it.

	At my current company we've gone through a lot of different
	systems for calling out exceptional work. We've had some official
	things, some local office things, manager made-up things, and
	they've had wildly different reactions. Our current system is
	a corporate level point system with a rewards site where you can
	log-in and pick out items you want with your accrued points. It
	is, almost universally, ignored. It means nothing to individuals
	getting points. There's no real public system for acknowledging
	peers. It's pretty much useless.

	Contrast that with our most successful system: an oversized
	post-card that had some award blurb stuff up top and a big open
	text area underneath where a manager would hand-write what you did
	to make a difference. They were peer nominated and manager
	approved. We announced them at "town hall" meetings so everyone
	would hear about your awesomeness as it was read out. There was
	a small financial award with it, but it was secondary. People kept
	those things and put them up on their desks.

	This all brought me back to an on-again-off-again conversation
	thread that floats around gopherspace: comments. I love when you
	guys and gals send me an email about something I wrote, or post
	a reply or acknowledgement in your own phlog. It means so much to
	me because you put in the effort. It wasn't a drive by "like"
	button. In managerial terms you didn't just give me a nod and say,
	"nice work," you took time out of your day to write me a note.
	That's awesome.

	It also makes my mind wander the path to hand-written letters. I'm
	an infrequent letter writer, but when I write or receive one it's
	always special. I have a bag in my office of every hand-written
	letter I've ever gotten.

	My handwriting isn't great. I don't always have brilliant things
	to say in a letter. Honestly, the content isn't all that much
	different from an email, except I know it will take some time to
	reach the person and responding is more difficult. I try to say
	things more completely. I invest more time and energy into it.
	I have to buy a stamp, after all.

	I'd like to write some letters again. Any of you up for it? My
	contact info is in my About page [1] including encryption options
	if you feel like sending me an address or PO box.

	[1] About