Winston Churchill said it best: “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” This brings to mind employee recognition, though the topic is certainly relevant to anyone you encounter.
Here are 10 easy, no- or low-cost ways to recognize others and demonstrate your appreciation:
- Take her out to lunch.
- Offer to do one of his unpleasant tasks that he would normally have to do.
- Ask him questions about his personal interests and aspirations.
- Send her a thank you card via mail, expressing your gratitude for what she does. Be specific.
- Put up a “You’re Awesome” bulletin board, where staff could pin up words of thanks to their colleagues. Works for the family, too!
- Employee Olympics, anyone? What kinds of events or competitions could you create? What kinds of medals and awards would you give?
- Ask the team to give him a standing ovation for a job well done.
- Rotate weekly who gets the “Trophy of Awesomeness” (or whatever you want to call it), based on who went above and beyond the call of duty.
- When did handwritten, honest-to-goodness thank you cards go out of style?
- If all else fails, an afternoon off would certainly do the trick.
What do you do for employee recognition? Put your ideas in the comment box below.
Written by: President of Kimberly Gleason Coaching and LeaderPath Adventures, Kimberly Gleason is a Grand Rapids-based personal and executive leadership coach, author of more than sixty magazine and newspaper articles, professional speaker, and trainer. She has been featured in Grand Rapids Press, Grand Rapids Magazine, and Take 5 TV. Through her innovative coaching programs, she helps leaders improve individual and team performance, effectiveness, engagement, retention, and results. Find out more about her free e-books, blog, resources, presentations, and programs at www.kimberlygleasoncoaching.com. Photo: stock.xchng
