How important is it that your employees are engaged in the company? Although attitude and moral are difficult to measure, the Gallup Organisation estimated that 22 million employees who are actively disengaged from their jobs cost the economy $350 billion per year in lost productivity. This is due to absenteism, sickness and other low morale issues. These costs are even higher when you consider high turnover and the need for new hires to be trained and obtained.
It makes sense to keep your existing people happy. This often requires more effort and ingenuity to make your company stand out from the rest. It doesn’t take much to make your people happy. All you have to do is teach them the value of giving praise, a better life, empowering them and allowing them to have fun.
Your employees will feel more at home in your workplace if they know you value them. You may need to change the way you relate to your employees and find ways to show that you care about their well-being and happiness. This investment will make a significant difference in boosting morale and ensuring your company’s success. These 16 creative ideas will help you create a more cohesive and motivated team.
Recognition and praise
1. Handwritten notes
It can make someone’s day if you take the time to handwrite a note. People rely on email or text for their primary form of communication. This makes a written message even more meaningful. You can take the time to appreciate and recognize people by writing a thank you note or card that acknowledges their outstanding work or conveys your appreciation.
2. Creativity in the award
It’s fine to focus on the winning solution. It’s fine to be focused on the winning solution. However, it’s not always easy to bring forward ideas if you aren’t certain they are foolproof. Fear of failure can stunt creativity.
This can be overcome by finding a way to reward ideas generation, even if it doesn’t produce the desired outcome. Calgon’s CEO created an annual competition called “Best Idea That Didn’t Work”. At the annual dinner, the recipient was presented with a trophy. People always hoped that their ideas would succeed, but they were more open and willing to share, brainstorm, and unleash their creativity when they realized they would be recognized regardless. Sometimes, even a poor idea can lead to the solution.
3. Get your hands together
It is important to recognize employees for their hard work, and give standing ovations. Meetings should be used to publicly acknowledge those who have contributed to the success of your company. People should be allowed to share their success stories and reapply the ideas of those who have discovered the best solution. You can also ask your team members to nominate you. This will allow you to hear stories that you wouldn’t have known about if they hadn’t asked. Recognizing your team members is a great way to get the best out of them.
4. Give gifts
You don’t need to be Oprah to hand out new cars. Even small gifts are appreciated. I’ve seen brainstorming sessions where people reward good ideas with $10 gift cards. It’s amazing how small gifts can motivate people. Another option is to give out monopoly cash for good work. Employees can save the money and then use it to buy rewards or gifts. Find the motivation that motivates your team and use it.
5. Wall of Fame
Another great way to make someone feel special is to put their picture in a frame. Create contests based on the success measures you want to reward. This is often done by companies for their top salesperson of each month, but it could be used for any type of performance.
Lifestyle
6. Remember your family
People work to make a living most of the time.
