WHAT IS APPRECIATION?

Appreciation generally means “recognition and enjoyment of the good qualities of someone or something”. In the workplace, appreciation can be as simple as saying “thank you” for a job well done, for completing a project quickly, or for coming to a meeting prepared and on time.

WHY SHOW APPRECIATION IN THE WORKPLACE?

1. Appreciation improves productivity.
2. Appreciation improves workplace morale.
3. Appreciation keeps employees engaged.
4. Appreciation helps build staff loyalty.

CREATIVE RECOMMENDATIONS TO SHOW EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION – MORE THAN A “THANK YOU”

Send a handwritten note. Handwritten notes are rare and can have a huge impact on the recipient. A thoughtful handwritten note is often saved by being taped in their work area or saved in a drawer that is referenced many times over.

Display a photo of the person. Have a Wall of Fame that highlights all of your employees. Add their photo on the company website and post it on company social media sites. Best practice is to use a professional photo.

Hold an appreciation ceremony. This can be a formal event or as informal as part of an agenda item for your weekly team meeting where you take a few minutes for employees to verbally acknowledge the efforts of coworkers.

Offer a paid day off. Everyone can use a day to take care of personal issues or to enjoy a little more leisure time. A paid day off can afford a three-day weekend or other excursion.

Give credit to others. Cite your sources, publicly applaud the ideas of others and recognize the people that have helped you.

Cater a monthly lunch. Have lunch brought in that allows employees to eat with other coworkers. Take a few minutes to let everyone know how much the company values their contributions.

Provide development training. Offering ongoing training in areas like team building, leadership, effective communication, goals setting, and time management can build a powerful company culture.

Rotating trophy. Get a trophy that circulates through your team. Each person awarded the trophy holds it for one week then passes it on to another coworker.

Give the power of voice. Create a culture of insight and innovation by allowing employees to be heard. This confirms that you value their opinion and perspective.

Be polite. Politeness opens doors while rudeness closes them. One tool to increase the probability of gaining the help you want is to attach the word “please” when asking.

Offer an award plaque. Have a special plaque with their name and achievement on it that can be hung on the wall or placed on a shelf honoring them.

Support community outreach. Let employees use a couple hours of company time to give back to the community.

Ask instead of telling. Exercise the habit of asking people to do what you would like them to do instead of telling them what to do.

Encourage collaboration. Allow for brainstorming and input from everyone on how to best achieve goals.

Compliment more than you criticize. If you are only criticizing, it will be hard to establish a positive working relationship that is needed to achieve organizational goals.

TAKEAWAY

Appreciation is a powerful everyday tool that managers and leaders can use with their staff. Unfortunately, it is greatly underutilized.