Recognition: Lack of it makes for Difficult Employees by Communications Expert Marsha Petrie Sue

www.marshapetriesue.com

It's not about the money. Employees want recognition or they can become difficult people with toxic behavior. How do you reward someone who is part of an outstanding team, especially if they are on a long-term project? How about daily recognition for employees that do a good job? Why is this even important? When employers take recognition as a daily to do, difficult people and conflict is managed. Here are some quick tips to reduce attitudes in difficult people, and can even help Baby Boomers, Gen X, and Gen Y work more effectively.

1. Have business cards printed for every employee. If possible, let them determine their own title. Many successful companies, including Wal-Mart, figured this out long ago.

2. Place a big bowl of popcorn/candy/cookies/fruit etc. in the break room once a week. Or ask the group what they want.

3. Use pictures of employees in newspaper advertising or feature employees in television commercials. Brochures, web sites, and blogs are other considerations.

4. Provide business travel to an important meeting, personal development resources, seminars, and industry association meetings for Employee of the Day/Week/Month. And let all employees vote on who should receive this award.

5. Reserve a parking space for the Employee of the Month with a slot for the employee’s name. Be creative!

6. Have management cook, BBQ or serve a meal as an appreciation breakfast or lunch for employees once a month/quarterly/yearly/etc. Hamburgers or Veggie burgers are easy and fun.

7. Give each employee a blank thank-you note to send to someone at work. Start by sending each of them a handwritten note.

The very best idea goes to Penny Barrington from Australia.

8. Help your employees keep their resumes current. Pay for them to access a professional for this to be accomplished. Let it be know you are on the team to get them promoted to the position they want – whether with your company or not. Loyalty, and trust will be built and difficult behavior as well as poor morale will be banished!

Runzheimer studies and research continues to verify that appreciation of employees is critical in today’s environment of Gen Y, Gen X, and Boomers. Employers know this kind of treatment reduces turnover and builds profitability.

Have a brainstorming session with the team and ask them what are the best ways they have been recognized or would like to be appreciated. Compensation is not the number one reason people stay motivated. It is acknowledging their hard work.

People need to feel a sense of accomplishment. “Not only is work harder to measure, it is also harder to define success,” says Homa Bahrami, a senior lecturer in Organizational Behavior and Industry Relations at UC Berkley’s Haas School of Business. “ The work is intangible or invisible and a lot of work gets done in teams and it’s difficult to pinpoint individual

productivity.”

Request the Ten Commandments of Cooperation from Marsha@MarshaPetrieSue.com. Great reminders for anyone working in today’s work environment.

It is also critical for employees to let the employer know how they want to be recognition. Or if working with a lack luster teammate, appreciation is the best way to begin an attitude turnaround. Get in the habit of authentic, sincere recognition. Learn to relay a job well done. The results are breathtaking.

Marsha Petrie Sue, Decontaminator of Toxic People Featured in the New York Times, Business Journal, Investors Business Digest, Legal Management, WorkWise and more.

Author of Toxic People: Decontaminate Difficult People at Work without Using Weapons or Duct Tape and The CEO of YOU: Leading Yourself to Success

Bestseller: Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Bookscan and What Corporate America is Reading” from CEO-Read.

Booking information: MarciaSnow@MarshaPetrieSue.com 1.888.797.6700

“Silence is Golden. Duct Tape is Silver.” Website www.MarshaPetrieSue.com Blog at www.DecontaminateToxicPeople.com