Encouragement is critical when managing adults.

Innovation only happens when people are free to act with courage.

But courage can be tough to muster. And leaders often don’t know how to encourage in a healthy way.

To be effective, encouragement should be properly administered. People don’t want to be pampered (at least not every day). Adults are not children. When adult workers are treated like children, they will usually move on. Nobody wants to live like that. People are more effective and more productive when working with high expectations.

But people also don’t want to be driven to perform without recognition of their performance. Especially when expectations are high. There is a human need for recognition. High expectations coupled with no recognition is the recipe for a toxic work environment.

Nobody wants to drink that toxic soup.

A recipe for courage and innovation.

Adults tend to perform courageously when two elements are equally present.

1. One part high expectation
2. One part personalized recognition

An equal mixture of these two elements, you will have courageous action and encouraged people.

Freedom and courage flow when people work in a place with high expecations and personal recognition.

When you want to be encouraging (to give courage), use both of these ingredients with equal abundance.