Summary
Find out why timely and specific acts of appreciation are crucial for employee morale and productivity.
In today’s world, people want to be recognized for their contributions and to know they are making a difference. That is why appreciation is one of the four core human needs (F.A.I.R.) that leaders should meet to elevate employee engagement.
And, engaged employees are 45% more productive and more likely to stay within your organization.
As previously mentioned, the simplest act of showing appreciation as part of your recognition plan is to express 2 words: Thank You. This is a great start.
When I was a new manager (decades ago!), I thought I was showing appreciation by saying “Thanks for your hard work” when stopping by employees’ cubes or within their 1:1 meetings.
However, providing appreciation that is specific, sincere, and timely further elevates engagement levels because it shows how their contributions uniquely made an impact.
For example, did a team member go the extra mile and stay late for several days to meet a deadline that made a client happy? And now that client thinks your company is a rock star? Then, include these specific details in your thank you, instead of just thanking them for their hard work (like I did!).
As you become more specific when thanking someone, so will the level of your authenticity, sincerity, and gratitude.
And why wait for an annual performance review to thank a team member? The present time where their contributions made an impact is the best time.
Acts of appreciation can be as simple as a text, e-card, or 5 minutes of your time to call/stop by. When one of my corporate environments had e-cards available, I enjoyed sending those to employees after an intense meeting or project to specifically share what they did well to contribute to its success.
How do you thank your employees and business partners?
To learn additional methods to increase your employee engagement, schedule a 30-minute complimentary strategy session here to brainstorm and create an action item.
