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• Dont Neglect the People that Support You Part 1

Dont Neglect the People that Support You Part 1

written on February 27, 2009 by Michele Ridella

It is understandable to get caught up in survival mode - managing budgets, cutting expenses and looking for opportunities to add needed revenue to bottom line.  But survival is not only on your shoulders.  It impacts everyone and for the employees that have stuck with you through thick and thin, it is on their shoulders as well.  Now is not the time to assume that employees will stay with you because of the economy.  As difficult as it is to find good people, it is just as difficult to keep them.  In a recent study by CNN/Money, 8 out of 10 employees will consider leaving their current employer when the economy is back on track.  Not to say that this will happen to you, but why not do what you can now to increase your chances of not hitting this projection.  Employees want the same things today that they did years ago, before the downturn in the economy:

• Recognition/Acknowledgment
• Challenging work
• The opportunity to work with great people
• Learning and development on the job

In this article, I will begin with Recognition.  Recognition does not need to cost you much money.  Actually, there are times when it will cost you virtually nothing at all, but your time and effort.  After all, how long does it take to say "thank you"?  Better yet, what does it cost? Now consider the long-term positive impact these two little words can have on your employees.  Two minutes of your time to say thanks for a job well done certainly seems like a good investment considering the rate of return.  Should you say it all the time?  No.  Should you look for opportunities to say it more often?  Most definitely!

Recognition can take many forms, but most importantly it should be meaningful and sincere.  In his book 1001 Ways to Reward Employees, Bob Nelson identifies three performance-based, manager-initiated methods to recognize employees:

1. Match the reward to the person.  What is the individual's personal preference?  Does your employee like public recognition, or do they prefer private acknowledgment?  Are they a formal or informal person?  Do they talk about their personal life, or mostly about business? Reward the person in the manner they find most rewarding.  What is the best way to make this determination?  Ask them.

2. Match the reward to the achievement.  Take into account the significance of the achievement.  Did someone just spend a year on a project that will add bring cost savings or add revenue to the bottom line?  Did one of your employees just save a customer relationship that was threatening to walk away?  The reward should fit the accomplishment.

3. Be timely and specific.  To be effective, rewards and recognition should be given as soon as possible after the accomplishment.  Acknowledgement that takes place weeks or months afterwards does little to motivate people.  Be specific about the reason the recognition is being given, highlighting what and why.

What are some of the no-to-low cost methods of recognition?  Consider the following:

• Create a "hall of fame" and not a "wall of shame".  Post pictures to capture significant events; hang acknowledgments, and kind words from customers.
• A personal note from you, the boss.
• On the spot praise.
• Celebrate birthdays or anniversary dates with company.  Bring in treats!  Food is always a good motivator.
• Host a cookout for employees, where the leaders of the company do the cooking. 
• Encourage everyone to participate in the local blood drive or other charitable events that you could do as a team.  It is amazing how good it feels to give back to the community.

The list could go on and on.  The main thing is to just do it.  One word of caution, please keep in mind that recognition is meant to motivate your people and is not intended to encourage unnecessary internal competition.  You want this to have a positive effect on your employees and on the organization.  Remember, people need to know that they make a difference. They may not know that they do, until you tell them.