Every Employee Wants to be Appreciated
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.
