Because there are so many great articles on employee engagement and creating a culture of appreciation in the workplace, I want to share the best of these resources with you. Here are my favorites from this week. I have included some of my thoughts on these gratitude strategies (“Grategies”) and would like to hear your comments too.
Half of employees do not like colleagues, research shows by Diccon Lynes
(Ashdown Group) “To improve teamwork and communication at organizations, managers should aim to introduce a social calendar that gives workers the opportunity to engage with others and develop strong working relationships.”
My Thoughts: The most engaged employees usually have a best friend at work. When you give your employees the opportunity to socialize and build relationships, chances are they will stick around longer and be easier to work with.
Work culture key to employee engagement by Saba Adil
(India Times) “For individuals to be truly engaged with their work and take pride in it, organizations must not only ensure that an employee’s work is meaningful and in line with the organizations vision, but also that they receive regular and constructive feedback, are given opportunities for professional development and have a work culture that motivates them to perform their duties with commitment.”
My Thoughts: Your employees want to be better tomorrow than they are today. Your feedback helps them develop personally and professionally – and they appreciate your insight.
The Power of Appreciation: It’s Cheaper than You Think By Rich Schlentz
(Retailer Now) In this article, Bob Nelson revealed the results of an employee appreciation survey he conducted, “You might be wondering where money ranked in this survey. A cash reward ranked fifteenth. There you have it. When it comes to demonstrating how valuable someone is, genuine praise and appreciation is more important than cash. I guess the saying that cash is king (or queen) isn’t necessarily true. There’s something about receiving a sincere word of praise or a handwritten note of appreciation that is more sustaining to our human soul than a gift card to a local restaurant.”
My thoughts: It takes a little effort to find out what motivates your employees – public or private recognition; gift cards or cash; etc. but the payback is well worth it.
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Lisa Ryan, creator of Grategy® is a gratitude expert, professional speaker and bestselling author. For more information contact (216) 225-8027. For information on Grategy® programs please visit http://www.grategy.com. Follow on Twitter: @Grategy