Times are tough – they’ve been tough for a while. Your company may have experienced cutbacks and reorganization. People are stressed, overloaded, and pushed to the limit. All of this is a perfect recipe for morale problems. Once again, it’s up to you to do something about it. The simplest and least expensive thing that you as the leader/manager can do is to make sure that your employees know that you appreciate what they do. If your employees are truly putting forth their best efforts, let them know that you’re aware of their hard work.
It can be as simple as walking up to an employee to thank them for their efforts. A handshake or a pat on the back can really make a difference. You don’t have to spend half an hour chatting it up or re-living the project play-by-play. You can take a couple of minutes at a meeting to recognize someone, speak up while you pass them in the hallway, or just walk over to their desk to talk to them.
Be as specific as possible. If you’re recognizing the work someone did on a particular project, say so. If it was their suggestion or idea that made some notable difference, tell them that. Finally, if you just want to thank them for showing up each day, doing their best, and being part of the team, tell them exactly that. Most importantly, be GENUINE. Lip service can do more damage than you can imagine.
As always, there are a couple of things to consider: (1) keep an eye out for opportunities to recognize people, but don’t do so if it’s not deserved, (2) make sure that you’re not focusing on any single person in such a way that others may think you favor them, and (3) don’t thank everyone for everything all of the time – it won’t seem genuine or have the same effect.
