People may sometimes forget what you said to them, but they just never forget how you made them feel.
It’s amazing to think that there are still managers who don’t even think about saying ‘Thank You’ on a regular basis to their people but then wonder why their people leave.
A genuine, heartfelt ‘Thank You’ has got to be one of the most powerful combinations of two separate words available to managers.
Really appreciating your people, recognising them for the work they do and the effort they put in is one of the most basic but under used management techniques – it’s basically free, requires no complex structures and is proven to be effective in ensuring your people try even harder.
Imagine for a minute, a work environment where people are encouraged to spot the good stuff as opposed to highlighting the mistakes. Would you like to work in an organisation like that?
So, how do I show my appreciation?
- Yes – it does take commitment and an appreciation of the value of recognition before you can do it right.
- Yes – of course some managers are naturally appreciative and thoughtful (you can learn lots from them).
- Yes – some people never seem to get anything right (so you may just need to look really hard).
There are so many ways to show recognition and appreciation and we’ll cover it fully in a future blog but meanwhile, simply think about taking time out to just actually say ‘Thank You’, privately or publically to your people. Then stop just thinking about it and go and do it!
When in doubt – one of the most effective ways is send a short handwritten note….now how hard can that be?
Formal recognition programmes take this to the next level, they ensure your managers, your supervisors, your directors – basically everyone is focused on really getting the best out of your people – recognising good performance and effort upwards, downwards and to the sides.
Recognition and appreciation play such a powerful part in increasing engagement levels, yet there are always obstacles – ahem – excuses standing in the way. Have a look at the blog below from OC Tanner’s about the top 10 recognition excuses – see if you recognise any in yourself?
Managers who really value their people and show their appreciation, generally have people in their teams that are actively engaged with what they are doing, they go the extra mile and are focused on ensuring that they play their part in delivering success.
And there’s even scientific evidence…
When an employee is recognised, Dopamine gets released within their body. It makes them feel good (engaged and positive) and that feeling makes them want to repeat it to get another kick of the good stuff, therefore leading to higher productivity each time.
And how about that nice stuff Oxytocin, research has shown that people who are experiencing higher levels of Oxytocin in their bodies do perform better in the workplace.
In fact, without recognition, more than three quarters of employees will consider leaving – and that’s enough to make anyone think seriously about those magic words
So from us to you, a very sincere and genuine ‘Thank You’ for taking the time to read this blog!
http://blog.octanner.com/appreciation-2/top-10-recognition-excuses-and-how-to-overcome-them