We all know that when a person feels appreciated they will do more than what is expected of them. They will go out of their way to make a difference and go above and beyond to reach their goals.

We know this is true, because it is true for each of us.

Think of a time when you didn’t feel appreciated at work. It makes it pretty east just to do the bare minimum and to ignore opportunities to add additional value. I once had a boss who would go days without speaking to me. Not even a ‘hello’ in the morning!

I did not feel valued. I felt like a piece of furniture. And, I left that job as soon as I could.

I’m sure none of us is ‘that boss’ who is less than engaging. But that makes me wonder why almost three quarters of our national workforce is disengaged. There must be some bosses out there who simply aren’t getting it done.

Here are some ways that bosses express their appreciation to/for their team members. How many are you doing, and how often are you doing them??

• Spend time with each team member just getting to know them as people. Who are they away from the office? Who is their family and what are their hobbies? What do they care about? Do you engage them about those things on a regular basis?
• Meet regularly with each team member to talk over their work projects.
• Ask each team member what they need from you to be more successful.
• Create positive social time for the entire team together.
• Tell each team member how much you appreciate him or her and what they contribute to the team.
• Ask team members questions about the work and spend time listening to their answers.
• Listen and ask good questions when a team member brings a concern to you.
• Allow others to be spokesperson at important meetings.
• Provide as much information as possible when changes are occurring in the company or when market conditions are changing.

There are other ways to show you appreciate your people, but that is a good start. What you will find is that the common denominator among all these ideas is respect.

–Respecting the knowledge that your team members have.

–Respect for their experience

–Respect for them as people who are trying to help you accomplish your goals.

Beer kegs, pool parties, foosball tables notwithstanding…nothing compares to the feeling of truly being appreciated to inspire loyalty, innovation, safety, honesty, and to reduce turnover.

When you care about your people, you want to spend time with them, invest in them, and do well by them. When you are loyal to them, they will be loyal to you.