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ans Serif" color="#008000">“We need to treat our people in a first-class way if we want to attract and keep the best.” -Jack Welch CEO General Electric.

ans Serif">How do employers keep their talented, hard-working employees? (And while we talk about employees here, most home businesses will find the same goes for anyone they work with: contractors, suppliers, associates - even clients!)   Few managment techniques are as solidly founded as the idea that positive reinforcement works!

ans Serif">Survey after survey, year after year, shows that “appreciation” ranks at the top of what employees want from work. And they are coming to expect it more and more these days.

ans Serif">Everyone loves

to feel appreciated.
We never outgrow this need. When we were kids, it was candy. Candy for adults is called “appreciation”!

ans Serif">Just like a good marriage, to remain healthy, a work relationship needs to be constantly peppered with words and gestures of appreciation. It’s legend that a relationship devoid of appreciation will ultimately die.

ans Serif">When people feel undervalued, unacknowledged and unappreciated they feel hurt, angry and frustrated. Soon their grumblings start to influence, then saturate the environment, making it miserable for everyone (and very costly for business).

ans Serif">Employees need to hear that they are valued, not just once a year, but throughout the year many, many times. Without it, their commitment and work performance in most cases, will fade. Sure they can survive for a while without it, but it’s up there with oxygen!

ans Serif">Appreciate your employees and they will value the work they do. Conscious appreciation is a power-tool in the hands of any manager. A smile of acknowledgement, a supportive comment in a tough situation, a little gift, a kind word. Recognition.

ans Serif">Employees who feel valued will be committed to their work. This means they miss work less often, they get “sick” less often with fewer days off. They work smarter and treat your customers better, with more patience and attention.

ans Serif">These are nice returns on your investment of showing appreciation!

ans Serif">Appreciation is a way of “shaping” behaviour. Noticing and rewarding are small steps towards a goal, a team vision. Timely, specific and positive feedback is an effective reward.

ans Serif">Key to learning the art of appreciation is active listening.. Good listening is one of the easiest and most effective ways to acknowledge someone. Take time to listen. Probe for specifics, be genuinely interested.

ans Serif">Showing appreciation is a classic case of “it’s the little things that matter.” Candy anyone?