The Carrot Principle reveals the groundbreaking results of one of the most in-depth management studies ever undertaken, showing definitively that the central characteristic of the most successful managers is that they provide their employees with frequent and effective recognition. With independent research from The Jackson Organization and analysis by bestselling leadership experts Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton, this breakthrough study found dramatically greater results when managers offered praise and meaningful rewards in ways that motivated employees to excel.

Got carrotphobia? Do you think that recognizing your employees will distract you from more serious business, create jealousy, or make you look soft?

  Think again.

  The Carrot Principle reveals the groundbreaking results of one of the most in-depth management studies ever undertaken, showing definitively that the central characteristic of the most successful managers is that they provide their employees with frequent and effective recognition. With independent research from The Jackson Organization and analysis by bestselling leadership experts Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton, this breakthrough study found dramatically greater results when managers offered praise and meaningful rewards in ways that motivated employees to excel.

Gostick and Elton show how the transformative power of purpose-based recognition produces astonishing increases in operating results. And they show how great managers lead with carrots, not sticks, and in doing so achieve higher productivity, engagement, retention, and customer satisfaction. Following these simple steps will make you a high-performance leader and take your team to a breakthrough level of achievement.

 PART I:THE ACCELERATOR

1 A Missing Ingredient

2 The Basic Four of Leadership

3 Leadership Accelerated

4 Altruists and Expectors

 PART II:CARROT CULTURE

5 Creating a Carrot Culture

6 Are They Engaged and Satisfied?

7 The Building Blocks of a Carrot Culture

8 Carrotphobia: Why We Don’t Recognize

 PART III:MANAGING BY CARROTS

9 The Carrot Calculator

10 125 Recognition Ideas

Conclusion: Sustaining the Carrot Principle

Appendix A: Acceleration to Business Results

Appendix B: The Jackson Organization’s National Employee Database

Appendix C: 2006 Survey of 1,005 Working Adults

Appendix D: Recognition ROI Survey of 26,000 Employees

Notes

Acknowledgments

Index

About the Authors