Business Tips 10 No Cost Ways to Recognize Employees
10 No Cost Ways to Recognize Employees
Turn on any nightly newscast and you will hear the doom-and-gloom predictions of an economic recession just around the corner.
Reactions inside organizations run the gamut from "Things are great. Go Team Go!" to "Stop all spending now!" based on manager leadership styles and their comfort level with potential high-risk changes. One of the first places you will be asked to curtail expenses often affects the very people who keep your business going...Team Members.
The manager who can balance the bottom-line without sacrificing the spirit of the team is the manager who will weather economic highs and lows effectively. Your team members are doing their job and performing well, and it's only human nature for them to want acknowledgment of those efforts. Here are my 10 ideas that don't cost a cent.
10 No-Cost Recognition Ideas
- Use praise. You know this one yet many team leaders find it hard to do in-the-moment. Download a helpful Tip Sheet now.
- Increase team member visibility. Write an article about their contribution, send a group email, let your CEO know, or announce it during a staff meeting.
- Give information. Employees crave accurate information so communicate often and early. It will stop potential rumors and increase their trust in the company direction.
- Increase team member involvement. Create ways to solicit individual opinions on issues facing your organization. Where practical, allow them to have a voice in the final decision.
- Offer interesting work. Create opportunities for the individual to work on a special project team - a plum assignment that encourages their professional development.
- Give feedback on performance. Report back more frequently what you see the team member accomplishing, and how they are meeting your expectations. This may lead to a mentoring relationship.
- Listen, Really Listen! Consciously practice deeper listening to understand and connect with the individual. Pay attention and stay focused to what your employee is saying.
- Allow flexibility. If it's not critical to customers, can you allow the individual freedom in establishing their work hours and time off?
- Recommend independence. Offer in-house training that allows the individual to learn a new skill. After the training, give them a project to use the new skills and allow them the autonomy of how the task should be completed.
- Play. As adults, we aren't often allowed to "play" at work yet it relieves stress and improves morale. Consider lunchtime walks, team stretch breaks, Joke of the Day challenge, Silly Socks Day, or whatever your team brainstorms.
BONUS: 3 Low-Cost Recognition Ideas
- Recognition Box. Keep box filled with small supplies (cards, colorful post-it notes, smiley paperclips, assorted page flags, stickers, markers, coupons, etc) that an individual can select when you've observed them doing something great for internal or external customers.
- Certificates of Recognition. Create awards for individual performance - anything from a customer interaction to a hidden talent can be recognized. For more ideas, checkout Baudville and Successories.
- Celebrations. Acknowledge birthdays, company anniversary, safety milestones, and production goals. You might begin just by eating lunch OUT! There is something satisfying about connecting with others through the sharing of a meal.
It doesn't take much to recognize team members even during harder economic times. It does, however, take consistency for you to get the most impact for your efforts.
Team leadership expert Marjorie Treu, CEO of Team Fusion, works with Fortune 500 companies as well as small businesses to help leaders create collaborative, cohesive, and conscious teams.
If you liked this article, you'll love her FREE reports, Leadership Adventures, Coaching, and other resources to help leaders at all levels develop themselves and build ultimate success. When visiting, be sure to sign up for the FREE monthly Tip Sheet downloads and FREE e-zine "Team Talk Today"!
Learn more now at http://www.teamfusion.net
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marjorie_Treu
http://EzineArticles.com/?10-No-Cost-Ways-to-Recognize-Employees&id=1905783
Free 2011 Blogging Calendar and Planner
Don't you just hate it when you really need to update your blog and draw a blank?
Well, one of the best ways to jump start those creative juices is to simply look at the calendar. How simple is that? Every month, week and day, there are some really strange, fun and downright funny holidays and observances celebrated everywhere. In fact, you can even make up your own 'holiday' to celebrate on your blog with your readers - that's how easy it is to come up with days of posts at a time. But you don't have to make it up yourself. It's hard enough coming up with a post. Here's a blogging calendar I found that feature some of these holidays. The other nice thing is, it has room to jot down your own ideas and you can use it to literally plan out the year's content - or just a month or two ahead if you're not the planning type. This really helps keep your blog going without rushing to write last minute posts.
Download and check it out for yourself. I bet you can find a couple of posts just off those dates you can write about. In fact, you can write about them right away and schedule them. Your readers will have fun and marvel at how you are so on top of the holidays and seasons.
What clients are saying
Linda Patrick of Hug Angel Inc. walks you through the process of website construction like a tried and true driving instructor who calmly stays on point as you learn to navigate web design. During the construction phase,she can handle the onslaught of creative ideas while providing you with big picture understanding. Once the website is live, Linda's knowledge can help you streamline SEO to maximize your efforts. If you know what you want and ready to let someone assist you with the wheel, you are in capable hands.
Mrs. Althea Treakle-Provost
www.theasheart.com
