Take Time to Thank Your Team
Set the Tone for Success through Encouragement
For organizations and employees everywhere, it’s been an undoubtedly difficult year. An uncertain economy. Record-high unemployment numbers. Increased workload and stress. The toll on personal relationships and finances.
It can be difficult to look beyond these circumstances and focus on anything else, though there are certainly positive things to look toward. Signs of improvement in the economy. Improvement in the job market. Opportunities that can arise from struggles.
If your team is overwhelmed by their present reality, now is the perfect time to add some joy into their lives. Finding creative and meaningful ways to thank your team for their persistence, perseverance, and commitment through this difficult year may be just the thing your employees need to get them energized. About the work they are doing. The people they are helping. The contribution they are making.
After all, leadership expert John C. Maxwell writes in The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork, “When you do good, you feel good – when you feel good, you do good.”
So, how can you thank your team for everything they’re doing well right now? Use these ideas as a place to start.
- Discover every win. Start by uncovering every win, from big to small, your team has had this year. After all, “Nothing boosts morale like winning and then celebrating it,” Maxwell notes. To discover your team’s wins, start by thinking about the things you are thankful for as a leader. Do you still have a team of talented people you work with? Are you making goals and plans for a successful new year? Did the challenge of this year bring to light possibilities your business has never considered before? Have you found new ways to do business or improved the quality of your customer service? Make a list of every accomplishment so you can encourage your team based on the victories they’ve achieved.
- Celebrate together. After you discover every win, find a way to celebrate with your team. No matter what your budget, you can find a way to celebrate your success this year. If you’re on a tight budget, consider bringing homemade baked goods or desserts. It could be as simple as inviting team members to bring dishes for a potluck lunch and saying thanks by letting everyone take a double lunch hour to enjoy the meal together. You could go all out and host a holiday or gratitude party to demonstrate your thanks to your team. Making your celebration an event is a great way to build camaraderie and create lasting memories of celebrating shared successes.
- Give a gift that matters. Holiday bonuses may not be in the budget this year. But that doesn’t mean a gift of some sort has to be out of the question. If you have a small enough team, consider giving a personalized gift to each employee. Or, give the gift of time and offer an extra day of paid time off when the schedule allows. No matter how grand or small the gesture, a sincere gift from the boss can be a meaningful and valuable encouragement.
- Equip a positive reality. Celebrations, gestures, and gifts are all very important ways to encourage your team, especially as the holiday season approaches and we gear up for a great new year. But, don’t lose sight of the direction your team needs in order to move forward into continued success. After all, encouragement isn’t just about celebrating the destination, it’s about motivating the journey. So, before the year ends, set goals for your company, and encourage each team member to develop personal goals that will help them achieve the vision of a great reality. As a leader, the most important thing you can do to encourage your team is to equip them for continued success and improvement.
Every individual wants to know that their work matters and is appreciated – whether by a crowd of adoring fans or just their boss and team. Appreciation and encouragement are more than simply buzzwords. They are how we all measure our personal success and find fulfillment in our work. So, find ways to make your team feel appreciated this year so you can set the tone for a fantastic future.
A Plan for Progress
Talking with Your Team about the Economy
As you begin setting goals and planning for the new year, chances are your team is looking to you for direction and guidance – not just about their plans for work, but about the trajectory for the future of the economy. They’re also looking to you for inspiration, vision, and hope. The good news is, there are some very positive signs of growth you can share with your team.
Stabilization in the Staffing Industry
According to the Bureau for Labor Statistics, the second-largest job growth sector in the economy is in temporary and contract employment, with over 692,000 new jobs expected in this industry by 2016. Recent research from the American Staffing Association (ASA) analyzed 36 years of government data. Their report demonstrated the truth behind the conventional wisdom that sustained growth in the staffing industry signals the end of periods of recession. It showed that typically, this growth comes about three months prior to an uptick in overall nonfarm employment.
This is significant given other recent news reported by the ASA: The fact that the staffing industry is stabilizing. Richard Wahlquist, ASA president and chief executive officer, commented about the overall industry growth in a recent release: “We have seen an uptick in staffing employment since early July and we expect that staffing firms will see increases in demand as the economy recovers.”
Taken together, these reports are positive signals that signs of growth are beginning to emerge. Bill Stoller, Founder and Vice Chairman of Express Employment Professionals, served as Chair of the ASA this past year. He agrees that positive signs are evident within the staffing industry and adds some additional insight. “At Express, we have begun to see more jobs opening up across the nation, starting in the second quarter and now into the third and fourth quarters, especially in the temporary and contract areas. With a reach across nearly 600 markets, this is a wonderful indicator that the economy is beginning to turn around,” Stoller said.
Growth of the GDP
Recent growth in consumer spending and new home building appear to have resulted in third-quarter growth in the gross domestic product. The initial estimate from the U.S. Commerce Department is that for the third quarter of 2009, the GDP experienced annualized growth of 3.5%. This is the first quarter of growth since the second quarter of 2008. Though economists are cautious about what these results mean, most anticipate that a more moderate level of growth will continue in the fourth quarter of 2009 and into 2010.
A Slow, Steady Climb
What does this mean for you and your team? The recession’s not officially over yet, and it will likely be a slow and steady climb out of it. Uncertainty is definitely still a factor, and chances are, it’s weighing heavily on the minds of your employees. So, take time to prepare a variety of strategies for what the coming year may hold. Take a careful look at the economy in your local market, create a plan for progress, and begin setting company and individual goals that will move you forward. The power of hope is truly incredible. So, start the conversation with your team today.
HR Tips
Gut Feelings Employers Should Never Ignore
That gnawing feeling in the pit of your stomach isn’t always hunger. Sometimes, it’s a gut feeling, your instinct. Gut feelings are your body’s way – and more specifically your brain’s way – of making you aware of situations and circumstances surrounding you.
The intricate and complex human brain has roughly 100 billion neurons firing messages through the body’s nerve cells at speeds of up to 200 times a second. Faster than a speeding bullet, in the blink of an eye, your brain is gathering and processing vast amounts of information. So, when you instinctively sense something, when you “feel it in your gut,” that’s your brain trying to tell you something.
People use this intuition to make decisions every day, whether it’s choosing to slow down when driving or deciding to take a risk in an investment. While some feelings we may choose to ignore, here are three situations when employers should never ignore their gut feelings.
Sexual Harassment. Despite efforts companies take to educate and train employees, sexual harassment is still a common occurrence in the workforce. In 2008, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) received 13,867 charges of sexual harassment and recovered over $47 million in benefits for victims of sexual harassment in the workplace.
Prevention is one of the most effective ways to eliminate sexual harassment in the workplace, so if you have a gut feeling that unwelcome sexual advances are occurring between coworkers, don’t ignore your intuition. Immediately take steps to check any inappropriate behavior.
If possible, limit the offending employee’s contact with their co-worker, and if necessary, counsel the employee against improper behavior before a line is crossed. Be careful not to disregard your instinct based on a victim’s gender. While women have traditionally been viewed as the victims of sexual harassment, of the 13,867 charges the EEOC received last year, nearly 16 percent were filed by males. Sexual harassment can happen to anyone, and employers have an obligation to protect employees from the hostile work environment sexual harassment creates.
Be sure to clearly communicate to all employees that sexual harassment won’t be tolerated, and also have an effective complaint and grievance policy and process in place. If a complaint is filed, be sure to take immediate and appropriate action.
Employee Fraud. The average business loses the equivalent of six percent of revenue to fraud each year, most committed by employees, according the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. Unfortunately, the recent recession has not done anything to tide employee temptation to commit fraud, and advances in technology have opened the door for potentially more lucrative spoils.
Small businesses are at even greater risk because they often rely on fewer employees to handle major financial responsibilities. Take steps to prevent fraud by creating a system of checks and balances. Consider having employees sign in and out of programs and computers when possible, and cross-train employees so that several review the same financial information to discourage, prevent, or discover fraud. Because fraud can hide in complexity, make sure to keep processes as simple as possible.
While you try to prevent fraud, remember that it’s important to create an environment of trust. Most employees’ will value and appreciate the trust you give and will honor that trust in return.
If you’re concerned about an employee’s suspicious behavior and the possibility of fraud, seek counsel and expertise for advice.
Physical Abuse and Violence. If you suspect an employee is being physically abused, don’t discount your intuition. According the National Coalition against Domestic Violence, one in every four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. While most cases of domestic violence are not reported to police, physical abuse does not stay hidden in the home. It can and does affect the workplace. Abusers often harass their victims by phone and e-mail during work hours. Spouses, and current and ex-partners commit 15 percent of all workplace homicides, according to the University of Albany. And, according to the Center for Disease Control, domestic violence costs American businesses more than $4.1 billion a year in health care related costs for victims, not including the substantial cost of lost productivity and sick days.
It is in the best interest of an employer to take steps to protect and assist employees who are victims of abuse. Establish a workplace policy on domestic abuse, and conduct training on how to recognize and deal with co-workers suspected of being a victim of domestic-violence. Consider creating an employee assistance fund to support employees in an emergency. Take reasonable steps to secure the workplace and ensure the safety of every employee with tools like security passes, sign-in sheets, surveillance systems or a security guard.
The next time you feel a twinge in your gut, don’t ignore it. The warnings your brain is sending are there for a reason. Use that information to take steps to protect you, your company, and your employees from harmful situations like these. If you need advice on these or other HR issues, contact Express today.
Exchange is a publication of Express Services, Inc., Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Copyright 2009.