Boost Moral By Using Simple Recognition

Believe it or not there are many managers out there that don’t feel they should have to say thank you to an employee who is just simply doing their job. Well, I beg to differ. I feel that giving thanks, even if it is for the smallest thing, is essential to boosting moral and giving recognition. Coming into work week after week doing the same exact thing can be mundane and after awhile you feel almost robotic. As a manager giving kudos or thanks is a way to bring the human element back into the job. It feels good when people recognize you for the good things that you do and it gives you that intrinsic reward you have been striving for in the work that you do.

The easiest way that I have found to give recognition is to write my employees a little note to tell them about the good things I have seen from them. Even though the written notes can be time consuming, the positive outcome is far greater than the time that I put into it. Also by giving a note, my employees can hang it in their cubicle or put it on their desks as a reminder that their work is important and they are important piece of the company. In my opinion it leaves a longer lasting impression than just verbal recognition alone.

I have put together a few check lists as a guide to help you make your notes.

First, here’s a list of some reasons you could give a note:

• Your employee met their goal.
• Your employee has been working on improving their work and you want to let them know that you have recognized their efforts.
• They beat a record (personal, or something that was set by another employee)
• Your employee came up with a best practice that was implemented in the workplace.
• They went out of their way to do something they were not asked to do.
• They helped on a special project.

Obviously, the list could go on and on but this should give you a good idea on what to look for.

Second, here are some examples of what you could say in the note:

• “John, I noticed you have been working hard to improve your writing skills. I read your last article about…I really liked the way you said…”
• “Sally, I really appreciate you helping me put together the manager’s luncheon on Friday. Without your help I would not have had everything put together in time”
• “Pam, way to go on beating your personal best on Wednesday! Your hard work paid off and you are now raising the bar for excellence in your department!”

Lastly, I leave you a few tips that I follow when putting it all together:

• Make your message personal. Write something more than just “Thank you”.
• Sound sincere.
• Sign your name on the note.
• Write legibly.
• Get fun cards or stationary. It adds a personal touch.

I hope this helps you make a more personal connection with your employees. I try to do this at least twice a week along with giving verbal recognition daily. Please feel free to leave comments below about strategies that have worked for you or the success that you have had with the advice I have given in my blog. Thanks for reading!

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