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Forget The Money: Executives Are Craving Respect
Shocking level of dissatisfactin revealed

BY: MICHAEL STERN September 27, 2004

Employers are bending over backward these days to hire, retain and motivate energetic financial and marketing talent. But according to a recent survey, many organizations may be lavishing insufficient attention on the general managers they need to keep everything running.

I confess: I conducted the informal survey to find out more about the audience of association executives I was addressing at a recent conference. As part of a seminar on negotiating tactics, I asked my audience, primarily a high-powered crew of senior executives of non-profits and industry associations, what they would like to gain from their next set of compensation negotiations.

The notes they passed up included the usual wish list of higher salaries and improved benefits. But what shocked me was the level of dissatisfaction revealed by their comments. These senior managers felt, on balance, neglected and frustrated by those who supervise them and determine their pay and working conditions.

One audience member, for instance, listed just two wants: "parity with others" and a "thorough and open review." Clearly, this individual feels the system put in place to review her performance and her compensation is neither fair nor professional.

Recognition is a concept that came up again and again in my mini-survey. Consider the cry for help from the manager who, in addition to a 10% salary increase, said he wanted a title change and "recognition." "Respect" and "appreciation of work" were another respondent's top two goals. Another person wanted "recognition of success," based on his record of growing the organization and increasing its financial reserves.

"Enhanced profile/status/authority," another participant wrote. Yet another, setting her sights more narrowly, asked for recognition of the overtime she was putting in. Then she summed it all up by saying her goal is to "make my employer realize my worth to the company."

Few senior executives today would sleep well knowing their workforce was seething with frustration and hunger for recognition. Yet you don't have to dig deep to find these sentiments in high-level professionals. Clearly, employers have a lot of work to do to bring their feedback, evaluation and recognition systems up to the levels that their key employees desire.

It's important to note, however, that the desire for more money is only part of the equation. One person in my audience wrote down five goals, only one of which focused on salary: "flexibility of time; appropriate remuneration, with opportunity for additional acknowledgement, monetary or otherwise; education and personal development; opportunity for leadership and education of others; personal enlightenment."

Here is someone, in other words, who is asking for only a reasonable amount of money, but begging for attention and the chance to grow.

In fact, gaining more opportunities for personal development was probably the second most-cited objective of these association executives. Time and again, they said they wanted their organization's "support" and "commitment" to professional development to help them do their jobs better or prepare them for their next challenge. "Money isn't everything," one woman wrote. "I want the understanding and support of others of the need for professional development."

Again, their needs seem modest. Several respondents wanted time and the budget to attend management seminars and industry conferences. A few requested education leave or paid tuition for more formal studies, such as an MBA.

Finally, it appears that some of these executives aren't sure that they and their employer see eye to eye any more. Several participants made it clear that their ideal negotiation would include an opportunity to clarify roles and responsibilities. "I would like a proper evaluation based on expectations," one executive wrote. "More clearly defined areas of responsibilities," wrote another. Yet another asked for both "clear performance objectives" and "clear reporting relationships."

Clearly, all is not well at many of these associations. I can only hope these unhappy people will follow through on their wish lists and actually bring these concerns to the attention of their bosses and their boards. After all, how can you expect people to lead an organization effectively when they feel alienated from the decision-makers at the top?

Fortunately, your business is different. It couldn't possibly be failing in so many elementary ways to look after and nurture some of its most important employees.