Showing Appreciation To Your Staff

Photo Source: Joris Louwes

I was at work early one morning and I bumped into the cleaner lady who was busy wiping my cubicle. I went up to her and thanked her for her good deed, which caught her by surprise. She had not expected me to thank her as she felt that she was just doing her job.

Nevertheless, I saw her eyes light up and her face break into a smile and I knew that I had made her day. She spent the rest of the day cleaning with a cheerful face. She even went on and made me a cup of coffee, something which she had not done before unless asked to. I then realised that just a simple word of thank you can make an impact in creating a strong bond.

How many of us practise the habit of expressing gratitude to our staff at work? True, we are always thanking our bosses for the promotions and bonuses that we receive but what about those on par or lower than us? More often than not, we expect them to perform and produce results, as that is part of their jobs. Has it ever occurred to us that showing a little gratitude will go a long way towards fostering strong relationships between us and our employees?

You do not have to spend money on gifts, flowers or lunch treats, to perform this deed. Just a simple word of thanks is sure to strike the chord. Sometimes, it does not even need to be verbal but rather, the opposite. Here are some non-verbal appreciative gestures which you can adopt to show your gratefulness to people at work.

A pat on the back

Your staff could be having a hard day at work. Just go to them and give them a pat on their back to show that you are there for them. This gesture from your end shows that you are aware of their work pressure. This simple touch is certain to put them in a better mood.

A warm smile

Avoid being described as the sour, stern person, in the office. Give your staff a genuine smile from time to time to show that you are aware of their contributions and are thankful to them. When you smile at someone, they almost always smile in return and the smile you get back actually changes that person’s emotional state in a positive way.

Post-it notes

Your employee might have done a small thing such as preparing the board room for a meeting, replying an email well or getting you the newspapers and mail. It may not seem very significant but it is still a task, nonetheless. Take a post-it note, pen down the magical words, “thank you” and stick it on his/her laptop or cubicle. Imagine his/her surprise when he/she sees it. To be acknowledged for one’s deed is the greatest gift for a person. Your actions would have earned you happy and genuine employee who is willing to put more dedication into work.