Making Recognizing Employees Part of Your Daily Routine
Good managers remember to recognize and motivate employees. Great managers do it every day. Here are some proven methods for making sure that praising employees becomes part of your daily routine. Make employees a part of your weekly "to do" list. Add the names of the people who report to you to your list of goals to accomplish. Then cross off names as you praise them.
Use voice mail. Rather than using it only to assign tasks, leave employees voice mail messages praising them for a job well done. Do it from your cellular phone on the way home. Write notes at the end of the day. Keep a stack of note cards on your desk, where you can't ignore them. At the end of the day, take a minute to write thank-you notes to any employee who made a difference that day.
Once a month, bring donuts or treat your employees to pizza, just to let them know you care. Also having a drawing for a gift card or an extra day off once a month, is another way of showing your appreciation.
At the beginning of the day put five coins in your pocket. Then during the day, each time you praise an employee, transfer a coin to your other pocket. It may sound corny but once you see how well reminders like this work, you will find even more ways of making a habit of letting your employees know how much they mean to you.