Celebrate Your Employees
March 1, 2024, this coming Friday, is Employee Appreciation Day, which often brings to mind those tangible things that employers and managers give out as tokens of gratitude. If you look up ideas, you’ll see suggestions such as offer group discounts or give swag bags and boxes.
Beyond rewards and recognition bestowed on employees, organizations show their employees that they value them through intangible means. This reminded me of a webinar we did where we discussed the intangible ways that employers show employees they are, indeed, valued.
Our book, They Did What? is filled with lessons that highlight the intangible, along with those tales of mischief and misbehavior.
Turn a negative situation into a positive one. Be quick to act on employee misdeeds, and commit to resolving issues, no matter how disruptive the situation. It sends a huge message about how much employees are valued and can avert even bigger problems from occurring. Recognize that good people want to work with other good people in a positive environment.
Allow employees to be part of the solution. The way leaders approach and solve issues sends a powerful message regarding employee appreciation. They often confront situations where people just use bad judgment without meaning any harm. Nevertheless, there are repercussions that affect coworkers. Getting all the facts and listening to the employee rather than jumping to conclusions lets the employee know they are respected.
Exercise diplomacy and preserve dignity. Not all misbehavior is deliberate, but it can be disruptive. Often these are situations where there are underlying causes for the behavior, such as illness or personal issues. Having an outside resource, such as an Employee Assistance Program with trained therapists, can be a lifeline for the employee and the organization.
These are all powerful ways to let employees know they are valued, appreciated and respected for the individuals they are. Other team members take notice as well, recognizing that support is being provided to coworkers who need it.
Speaking of other team members – the ones who meet your workplace norms – don’t overlook them. For example:
Catch them in the act of doing something positive – like assisting a peer who is struggling or standing up to poor behavior, such as harassment.
Call out “greatness” – exemplary behavior and performance – to unleash their potential.
Reinforce the positive actions you witness or hear about.
Thank employees, either publicly or privately, for their contributions and ideas.
No surprise, employee appreciation starts with a positive culture, and leaders live that culture through their actions. We have much more to say about the employee experience in both The Decisive Manager and The Big Book of HR. These ideas are just a beginning of how to integrate employee appreciation throughout the year. But go ahead and celebrate with something tangible on March 1. Your employees will appreciate it.