Whether you sense it or you’ve been told outright, having an employee that doesn’t feel appreciated can make for a difficult situation to deal with. Employees who feel they aren’t valued probably don’t perform at their very best, and you may be missing the level of professionalism you’ve come to expect from him or her. So how do you correct the situation?
The first thing you should do is to examine whether or not you really do appreciate the employee. Perhaps you’ve taken their performance for granted, or maybe it’s simply a matter of not having shown appreciation, either through words or actions. If after careful examination you simply can’t conceive of where the problem lies, it’s time for a talk with the employee.
No matter how valued an employee’s performance has been in the past, someone who doesn’t feel appreciated is bound to be a less satisfied worker. So if after some introspection you find that your feelings towards your employee haven’t exactly been positive, it’s not too late to turn that around and bring out the best in him or her. Yes it’s true, sometimes no manner of encouragement will bring forth a great performance, but it’s often quite surprising what will happen by making an extra effort.
On the other hand, you may have discovered that indeed this worthy employee has flown under the radar too long, and has not been given the proper kudos. What do you do? The best way to remedy the situation is to sit down privately with him or her and first sincerely apologize for the oversight. Then ask what can be done in their eyes to reverse the negativity. Do they want simple verbal acknowledgment? Do they feel they were overlooked for a promotion, or are their skills being underused? Listen openly, and if need be, tell them that you want a few days to fully absorb the suggestions they gave. A followup meeting will be necessary in this case. The important thing is to give room for the employee to express their views on the situation so you can better address it and make adjustments. At that point you’ll be able to see where improvements can be made if possible.
If you feel there’s simply been a misunderstanding – that in fact you did show the employee appreciation and they didn’t recognize it as such – find that magic middle ground and offer something else that makes you both comfortable.
When an employee doesn’t feel appreciated, you both lose. The solution may be as simple as letting that employee know the are indeed valued and needed. Other times bigger steps need to be taken; but in the end what you gain for your efforts is a happier, more dedicated employee. And if strides are made to correct an unhealthy situation, your employee will have a deeper respect for both you and the company that worked so hard to show true appreciation.
Cutting Back can be as Simple as Watching Office Supply Waste
With a tough economy comes tightening of the belt in areas that may have been previously overlooked. If you’ve got the job of cutting down on office expenses, you’ve got quite a challenge! But you need not despair – remember, even the smallest of cutbacks can add up to more significant savings. Following are 10 money-saving tips for cinching the office budget.
1. Save on Electricity – Install timers on office lighting so lights automatically shut off when no one is in the room.
2. Coffee Caddy – Most employees have no idea how much coffee an office can go through. Encourage everyone to contribute to a coffee fund by putting a collection can in the break room, and label it with the current monthly average of money spent on coffee, filters, cream and sugar so everyone is aware of the money needed to keep the coffee brewing. Ask employees to be on the lookout for cheaper supplies when shopping.
3. Cool Down – Rooms that aren’t in use can be left unheated during winter months. Shut vents in unused areas of the building.
4. Take it Down a Notch - For the rest of the building, try turning the heat down one or two degrees. Yes it’s true, this will be one of the less popular decisions, but kindly explain to all that it’s necessary to keep the costs down. Just make sure you don’t knock the heat down too far in money-saving exuberance, however, or you’ll end up with chilled and unhappy workers! That’s not so hot either.
5. Printing Techniques – Print on both sides of the paper whenever possible. And when it’s not necessary to print, don’t. Encourage everyone to refrain from printing for personal use too. You’ll save on paper, toner, and electricity, not to mention wear and tear on the printer. When you’d normally print reports, etc., for clients and customers, try sending it electronically. Let your customers know it’s the more environmentally friendly choice. Most people will know – and understand – that it’s both an environmental and an economic choice.
6. Reign in on Incidentals – Most of us have gotten accustomed to Sticky Note usage, but remember there once was a time when they didn’t even exist! Try saving scrap papers and cutting them into quarters to be used for note taking. Paper clips are reusable and in the long run will be a cheaper solution.
7. Cleaning Up – Cleaning supplies can be a huge drag on the office budget. Thinking of the price tag attached to the mounds of paper towel, glass cleaner, and other cleaning products can make one’s head spin. Try purchasing a few spray bottles and filling them with water and vinegar. Or purchase something like the ActiveIon (pricey at the get-go but well worth it) to avoid regular replacement of cleaners. Buying reusable cotton cleaning cloths instead of disposable paper towels will cut down on expenses, not to mention all the extra garbage.
8. Dry Out - For bathrooms and break room areas, replace paper towel dispensers with reusable cotton cloth hand dryers or air dryers. The initial investment means never having to dole out for disposable paper towels again.
9. Break Room Cut-Backs – along with the reduction of paper towels, cleaners, and coffee expenses, make sure the break room is supplied with reusable dishes and silverware instead of disposable. Again, you’ll be cutting back on trash volume. Encourage everyone to wash dishes immediately after usage. By mixing 1/4 cup of dish soap (or less) in an old bottle mixed with water, you’ll hardly ever have to replace that soap! Most are highly concentrated and can handle being greatly watered down without losing their potency.
10. Ask for Employee Input – Holding a meeting, or simply going around the office and asking for ideas, is a great way to get everyone in on the spirit of cutting back. Ask people what they’ve done in their own homes to decrease expenses, and see how you can implement those at work. Most people will be more than happy to share their ideas, and when they see them put to use in the office, they’ll be glad they were able to contribute in any way possible.
It’s the small expenses that often sneak by us, adding up to a big problem. But by taking a closer look at the little money leaks, you’ll make quite a savings in the long run. Be sure to calculate the expenses before and after, and share them openly with everyone. Explain it’s for the benefit of all, not just the company’s bottom line. Sure, cutting back can be hard and it does mean sacrifice on everyone’s part, but being open and honest with employees when it comes to trimming the fat by cutting down on office expenses will ensure you have not only everyone’s participation, but their enthusiasm as well.
There’s a reason things like watches, clocks, and jewelry are so closely associated with service awards: They’re well-liked and a fantastic way to turn an award into a keepsake. But for every employee that would love to have a watch or a gold ring, there’s another who would more appreciate something as unique as they are. Offering great choices in your service awards programs means adding some things a little less traditional to counter the more common favorites. Here are a few suggestions that will fit nicely into your employee’s at-home game room:
Authentic Gaming Machine – Definitely not your average service award, a slot machine will give your award recipient a bit of Vegas right at home. This beauty is a full-sized slot machine that was once a true blue ringer on the casino floor. Completely refurbished, authentic, and ready for at-home use! Even includes the tokens.
Old-Fashioned Kettle Popcorn Maker – Add it to a game room, even the family room. This one offers fun for the whole family, as movie night is turned into something really special. Anyone can throw a bag in the microwave, but how many people can have their own true blue movie popcorn? This is a manageable tabletop version that stands 18″ high.
Gumball Machine – Another one sure to please the whole family, a gumball machine adds a bit of nostalgia to the household fun area. This one is built the old fashioned way with a cast metal base and a glass globe.
Chess Set – Here’s an award that offers a lot in craftsmanship and style. This chess table features genuine Italian alabaster inlay and comes complete with a full set of handcrafted maple chessmen, weighted and felted. The table includes two drawers for storage. An elegant piece sure to be proudly displayed.
Keeping in mind the varied personalities in your company will go a long way to setting up a great awards program. While the popular choices of watches and jewelry will always have a favorite spot, adding some more unusual items to your awards catalog lets your employees know you understand how unique they are!
Got some more unusual ideas of your own? Let us know! Want to get ahold of something you see here, or perhaps discuss other options? Feel free to contact us. We’d love to chat with you. (We also tell great jokes, and some of us sing on occasion.)
Sometimes the easiest things are the most effective. These 10 tips for motivating your employees may seem overly simple at first glance; perhaps you’ll say, “Of course! Who doesn’t know that?” But these are the sort of tips that we often forget to put into practice. Making yourself mindful of them will give you more productive – and happier – employees!
1. Smile
2. Find reason to compliment even the most difficult employees. Make it sincere, even if it’s just “Hey, dig those shoes.”
3. Do a favor. I’m not talking about waxing the secretary’s Prius. I’m talking the simple stuff: Buy her a cappuccino; fix that computer glitch she’s been bugging you about; clip a funny cartoon you think she’d like.
4. Say thanks.
5. Admit a mistake.
6. Bring in doughnuts. Or a fruit basket. (You’d be surprised at how fast a fruit basket will empty out! It doesn’t have to be frosted to be devoured.)
7. Listen.
8. Ask for input. Nothing makes an employee feel more valued than to have a boss, a supervisor, a manager ask for their opinion or input on something!
9. Openly recognize talent.
10. Laugh.
At first it looks simple; but be aware of just one or two of these tasks throughout the rest of today, and you’ll find some of them might be harder to implement than you thought! That’s alright. The payoff for everyone is great. In fact, we could rename this post “10 Simple Tips for Motivating Yourself” and read it again. The list is just as effective. Nothing is a more powerful self-motivator than motivating others!
What if Shaun White never became a snowboarder? What if, instead, his parents told him, “Kid, enough with the snowboarding already. Crack into those books and aim for a respectable job. That sport’s going nowhere anyway.” Jump to Shaun’s adulthood: He sits behind a desk pushing numbers as an accountant. Think he’d be any good at it? Even if he performed alright, his heart certainly wouldn’t be in it. In much the same way, our employees can be seriously underperforming if they are misplaced. So how do you most effectively go about motivating your employees? One of the best ways is to make sure their job description best matches their talents.
That’s not to say we tell them to trade in their keyboard for a snowboard, building them a halfpipe in the parking lot. But if an employee seems less than motivated, even disgruntled, one area to look at is their day-to-day activities. An employee turning in subpar work may simply be misplaced. In smaller companies it’s easier to get to know an employee on a one-on-one basis than it is in larger companies, but it’s never impossible to learn the likes and dislikes of one’s workstaff. Getting to know more about the personal lives of those who make your company operate is a great way to figure out where they might better be placed, or what new responsibilities may be added to their workday that would motivate them.
Take, for instance, Sandy. A true story, Sandy worked at a factory. She was young and wasn’t planning on making the factory her lifelong job and the bosses knew that. She was placed on a machine producing parts, and the work environment was quite repetitive. Others did very well in that position, but Sandy got squirrelly, wandered around and talked instead of working, and consistently produced bad parts. Other employees complained that she wasn’t holding up to the task, and it wasn’t making for a very pretty work environment. She probably would have gotten herself fired, but her supervisor saw it for what it was – Sandy was bored to tears. She needed movement and mental activity that would change from day to day. Her supervisor moved her to a different position where she would get what it took to make her a top performer in the company. True, she did leave a couple of years later, but for the years she worked there she was happy and a top producer.
As with the case of Sandy, misplaced workers can act out and even disrupt others; but like the image of Shaun White at the accountant’s desk, being misplaced simply means poor performance. Reevaluating a worker’s job description may give you more than a happy, motivated worker – it may just lead to an Olympic performer who has the potential to take your company to Gold-medal status!
