Most people feel underappreciated for their work, as implied in a survey conducted by analytics and advisory company Gallup. They tend to complain about their considerable effort at work not being valued properly. As a leader, you have to make sure that the people who work under you are motivated enough, and appreciation plays a big role in that. This is why you have to do it in the proper way. As educationist Margaret Elizabeth Cousins once stated, “Appreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary.” Below are a few tips on how to show your employees appreciation at work.
Thank Them
A simple way to do it is thanking your workers verbally for the hard work they put in day-in, day-out. A simple ‘thank you’ can go a long way towards boosting employee morale. It will only take some seconds, so you have no excuse to say that you are so busy or lack time for it.
Write a Thank You Note to Each One
When you go out of your way to write an email or old-fashioned handwritten thank you note, it will leave a significant impression on your employees. Some do it when they are an executive-level leader in corporate set-ups, and their subordinates would post the notes on their workplace wall. Such actions from employees indicate how significant it is for them to get letters of appreciation from their superiors.
Give Them a Chance
If a worker is performing their tasks at an extremely high level, provide them with an opportunity to do something else as a sign of your acknowledgement. That something can be a task which the employee wants to do to improve their skill, like attending a training program. Letting them take part in it or do whatever else they want to, can be a win-win situation for you and that employee. The same goes true for almost every form of appreciation you show to workers.
Give Them Small Rewards
Nothing is small in the truest sense of the word when it comes from a superior who is known to motivate their peers and subordinates alike. For instance, consider giving $10 gift vouchers to your workers that will qualify them for a discount at Target or Starbucks. The amount may be small, but it will have a greater perceived value.
Send a Group Electronic Mail
When somebody is celebrating a special achievement, just send an email to every person who is part of your team. Do not forget to cc (Carbon Copy) key executives. Discuss the landmark and thank that worker who achieved it. This will show that you acknowledge the employee, and will allow him or her to get praise and approval from his or her peers.
Ask What They Desire
Meet with workers regularly and consistently to discover their goals for the short term, mid-term and the long term. Tell them that you wish to assist them in accomplishing those objectives.The workers will appreciate the effort you put into their success as the leader.
Allocate a More Attention-Grabbing Project to Them
Assigning somebody to a project, will attract a greater deal of attention to them, which is another good way to show your appreciation. This will also show that you have faith in their talent, and they will get to have a more attention-worthy profile in your organization. Be sure to state that you have chosen them due to how you have acknowledged their exemplary work.
Make Accolade Specific
When you are thanking the members of your team as an acknowledgement, inform them specifically your motive behind the same. In other words, do not merely say, “Well done”. Rather, say, “Well done on your presentation. I appreciate the way you did it and your research for it was excellent. It feels great to have you here!” This will make your team wish to repeat that thing for which you acknowledge them.
Talk with Them Personally to Know How They Are Performing
Stopping by and checking in with your team member is the way to subtly show appreciation. People will appreciate the work-time you are spending with them, plus it will show that you have a caring mentality. As author Harriett Jackson Brown Jr stated: “Don’t forget, a person’s greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated.”This is one more way to show it.
