When I arrived at Mattel, the company was losing almost a million dollars a day, the bonus pool was empty, and equity awards were underwater. I believed that those challenges were surmountable.
We will turn things [โฆ]. I had just arrived from Kraft Foods, where I spent the first 23 years of my career. And although I worked hard, I also had a lot of help. My parents and teachers influenced me in powerful and positive ways. My 15 different bosses at Kraft all supported, guided, and taught me. Well, all but oneโwho, by the way, lasted only a year at the company. I found myself saying thank you a lot. So I learned to say thank you even more, because the effect was obvious.
And most peopleโand, as a result, most organizationsโactually do pretty well. What should they get in return? My colleagues can vouch for my toughness. Why not say thank you more oftenโand mean it? At Mattel, we do that with our Rave Reviews program, which allows employees to recognize and thank one another with a simple e-certificate for a free soft drink or coffee.
As a frequent flier on American Airlines, for example, I receive Applause awards that I can hand out to its employees who deliver superior service. I recently retired from Mattelโand, by the way, my colleagues executed that transition brilliantly. When HBR invited me to pen a column reflecting on my career, this was my thought: What a perfect opportunity to publicly thank everyone who made my work so much fun! You have 1 free article s left this month.
You are reading your last free article for this month. Subscribe for unlimited access. Create an account to read 2 more. The Two Most Important Words. We will turn things [โฆ] by Robert A. Read more on Leadership or related topic Motivating people. Robert A. Eckert was the chairman and CEO of Mattel from through He remained as chairman through Partner Center.
