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Ah, November.
The leaves are falling, the weather is chilly, and the smell of pumpkin spice
permeates the air. While you’re probably making plans to celebrate Thanksgiving
with family and friends, there’s one group of people you may be forgetting—your
employees.
Thanksgiving is
the perfect time to express your gratitude to those around you. Making your
employees feel appreciated now only promotes mutual feelings of goodwill, but
it can make them feel more loyal and dedicated to their work.
Giving thanks
on Thanksgiving doesn’t have to be difficult. These appreciation ideas for
employees will help you get into the spirit and show how much you appreciate
the people you work with.
1. Take the
time to talk to, and get to know, your employees. The most significant way to thank your
employees is to get to know them. Take them to lunch or schedule time to ask
about their values, hobbies, and interests. Understand your employees. Use what
you now know about them to build a customized skills-improvement performance
plan. Spend time with, and become interested in, each of your employees.
2. Ask
employees what they think. The
best way to feel appreciated is to be included – to feel that your perspectives
matter. In a Lean environment, we need input from all of our employees to be
successful. Including employees in company issues, challenges, and
opportunities empowers them, engages them, and connects them to the strategy
and vision of the company.
3. Say thank
you and mean it. Most
managers actually do thank employees who do great work. Employees work for more
than money. They work for the praise and acknowledgement of their managers. A
sincere thank you, said at the time of a specific event that warrants the
applause, is one of the most effective ways to appreciate employees. Remember
the phrase, “What gets rewarded, gets repeated.” Start to say “thank you” or “I
appreciate what you do” when it is deserved, and it will inspire the behaviors
to continue. Make it personal and sincere. Catch employees doing great things
and respond. It empowers them, appreciates them, and celebrates their
performance.
The
Thanksgiving season is a great time to recognize employees for their
dedication. Finding simple and creative ways to show your appreciation does not
have to be difficult. Be creative and try to come up with new ways to say,
“thank you” this holiday and every day.
Regardless of
your style and how you do it, connecting with employees and taking the
opportunity to thank them, whenever you can, pays dividends for everyone.
Appreciating and thanking your employees isn’t hard or costly. So, take the
time to make a difference in your employee’s life. You will be pleasantly
rewarded by them making a difference in yours
This
Thanksgiving, remember to extend a special thank you to your coworkers. Not
only will it mean a great deal to them, but they will likely return their
gratitude in kind! With a simple “thanks”, you will be building a sense of
gratitude and appreciation that can outlast the Holiday season and ultimately
embed itself into your company’s culture.
