As this abnormally busy week comes to a close, I am left asking myself:
Did I work on the right things? Did I do a good job? Was my manager pleased with my work? Was I a good team member? Did I assist my co-workers?
As I sit and analyze the things I worked on this week, I think I did a pretty good job. But does what I think really matter?
These questions I ask, were really inspired by numerous conversations I have had in the past few days with clients, past co-workers and friends. The fact that I have had multiple conversations with people on this same topic…this very same week has left the word appreciation on my heart.
As employees and managers alike, we spend day in and day out working on fixing things in the businesses we are in. We are programmed to work on the things that are not working effectively or efficiently.
What about the PEOPLE that are working on the right things? What about the PEOPLE that are doing a good job? What about the PEOPLE that make the team successful? What about the PEOPLE that help others?
Are we appreciating our PEOPLE?
Appreciating our people is so easy and costs us absolutely nothing. Yet most of us spend little to no time working on this area.
So where do we start?
That’s easy! Instead of looking for what’s not working start looking for what is working.
Here is a list of my favs:
- Just say THANK YOU! I appreciate the good job you are doing!
- Even a Smile expressing approval counts as showing appreciation. Just remember it must be genuine to count!
- Giving praise to an individual is effective, but giving recognition in front of others works even better. One of my favorites was an award I received from one of my favorite managers that he called “Better Because of You Award”. I think it was my favorite because he totally made it up….it wasn’t a Corporate Program. He gave it to me for my contribution to our team during the year. WOW it really made me feel special!
- A handwritten note or card expressing your appreciation. I am pretty sure I have every card ever written to me from a manager, co-worker or customer. However, I can’t say that I have kept every birthday card! Hmmm.
- A book that reminds you of the employee with a special handwritten note on the inside cover. I actually have a few of these and love that my manager took the time to write me a note of appreciation.
Our employees are truly our number one asset. Without them our business well…wouldn’t be a business! With that in mind, why not show your employees a little love today?
I would love to hear your favorite way of expressing appreciation to your employees. Please share your gratitude techniques with us in the comment box.
If you are an employee that thinks your management team could use a little nudge on the appreciation scale, why not share this article with them!
Reader Interactions