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JANUARY 22

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”

—Leo Buscaglia, author and lecturer

THE LITTLE THINGS REALLY DO MATTER MOST

We know a guy who keeps a few short notes from his wife in his wallet. Sweet nothings, really. He tells us that sometimes, when searching for a membership or business card, he’ll stumble upon them.

“Or, on a really bad day at the office, I might purposely dig them out,” he says.

No matter the occasion, reading them always puts him back on top of the world. A little thing, yes. But what an amazing impact!

The same thing goes for recognition at the office. It doesn’t have to be big, flashy, or expensive. A hand-written thank-you note, or a few words of praise in front of an employee’s peers at staff meeting. These small things can mean the world to employees . And the simple memory of that recognition might be just what is needed to push an employee’s performance over the top.

On second thought, this may not be so little after all.

JANUARY 23

The Dirty Dozen of Why We Don’t

EXCUSE NO. 1

“I DON’T HAVE THE TIME!”

What did your mother always tell you? You make time to do the things you want to do. If it is important, you will find the time to do it. If you want to inspire someone and show real appreciation , you will find the time. (And, when you think about it, how much time do you need to write a thank-you note or say “thanks!” Not much!)

JANUARY 24

Be interested in their families.

CARROTS FOR KIDS

You do something nice for me, I appreciate it. You do something nice for my family, and all of a sudden we are family.

Today, before you leave the office, ask each of your employees about their kids. Find out when their birthdays are and how old each child is. On your calendar, mark those dates and celebrate with them—whether through a small gift or even a simple birthday card with a hand-written note. A thoughtful picture book or toy given on the birthday of your employee’s five-year-old daughter could be the best thing you’ve ever done for morale and will certainly bring you closer to your employee.

Is it important to be close with your employees? Let us put it this way: do you work harder for people you like and who like you, or those who seem aloof and superior ?

JANUARY 25

Have some fun with it.

WASH AWAY YOUR TROUBLES

Recognition doesn’t need to be stuffy and formal. One company we visited had a car wash to celebrate record earnings. Senior management grabbed buckets and rags and washed every car in the parking lot to thank employees for their great work.

Who wouldn’t want to say to the CEO, “Hey, buddy, you missed a spot.”

JANUARY 26

Don’t be afraid to reward achievers .

RECOGNIZE ONE PERSON EVERY WEEK

When planning recognition, some managers worry about offending an employee or leaving someone out. So they opt to “recognize everyone” as a group .These managers not only end up alienating the stars that make a difference but reinforcing the behavior of their average and poor performers.

Instead of serving up mass praise to your work group, try this: put together a chart of all your people and recognize one person in each weekly staff meeting until you have publicly recognized them all. Don’t just recognize for “overall greatness,” but for specific behaviors that are important to you and your organization.

When you start recognizing people, you’ll be amazed at how easy it is and how nobody feels left out. You’ll also find yourself recognizing faster (even on the spot) for the “right” behaviors. In most cases, you’ll also notice your employees recognizing each other and vying for more of your recognition.

Buy on amazon.com >>

Gostick A., Elton Ch.

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