Appreciation is a Key for Employee Motivation

Work environment should be resonate culture of gratitude and appreciation. Appreciation is a fundamental human need. Employees respond to appreciation expressed through recognition of their good work because it confirms that their work is valued. When employees and their work are valued, their satisfaction and productivity rises, and they are motivated to maintain or improve their good work. Appreciation must be frequent.

We should not have to wait until the end- of -year performance review. We need to appreciate our team mates frequently. People who feel appreciated are more positive about themselves and their ability to contribute. People with positive self-esteem are potentially best team member. As appreciation enthuses employees, simple praise and words of encouragement may bring better productivity in team, which after all results in overall productivity. Appreciation is not only for the benefit of the person who directly receives it, it is also has a significant impact on peers who see great work being rewarded. When employees are valued or appreciated, they feel that they are part of something meaningful and having confidence in their future among the key factors that determine how they feel about their jobs. Appreciation is transmittable; our coworkers might catch our smile and pass that into other coworkers. Appreciation is one of the top motivators for employee to be more committed to his company and it is directly linked to happiness in the workplace.

Keeping staff happy and motivated is a crucial aspect of running a business, small or large. Ignoring this leads to trouble in the form of unmotivated members, cynicism, poor productivity, strained work relationships and an overall negative environment. To mitigate this, many employers initiate reward and recognition programs.The intention is to reward employees for their good work and offer some kind of tangible benefit (like gift cards) to show appreciation and to motivate.

Lack of appreciation leads employees to de-motivation. But motivation is the force that converts intention into action. In a work setting, it is the drive that helps maintain goal-directed performance. For over 40 years, scientists and business researchers have conducted numerous studies to determine what incentives help motivate employees. So many companies spend thousands of dollars hiring outside firms to give motivation seminars, realizing that by nurturing the talent of individuals and building stronger teams, they can help cultivate a happy work environment.

Those who have been able to motivate their employees successfully realize how easy it is to achieve tasks when employees feel inspired. However, there are many organizational and managerial practices that can kill employee motivation. Failure to recognize and reward performance is major one to kill employee motivation. Employees spend their key times in workplace. When employees perceive corporate policies or individual treatment as unfair or hypocritical, not only are they less inclined to perform tasks optimally, they distance themselves from the organization. In the worst cases, they reject it and leave it altogether.

De-motivation is also contagious: even one de-motivated employee who constantly cribs about work or other undesirable factors can quickly succeed in de-motivating others too. Organizations are prone to the danger of de-motivation at all times. So, it’s important to be aware of it and recognize and tackle it without delay. We should careful that ‘one spoilt apple can spoil the whole basket’.

Here are a few ideas on way we can appreciate our coworkers so that we can keep them motivated and engaged at work:

• Say thank you- We all forget to say thank you. To say thank you is a simple, but its outcome is great.
• Immediate feedback for a job well done-For a job well done, we may hand over at least a greeting card or hand written note.
• Provide Opportunity-People always want chances. We need to forget the silly mistakes of our coworkers. Rather, without blaming, we need to give them chances for correction.
• Encourage employee development-If any coworker of us intend to participate in conferences or seminars for his development, he should be allowed and encouraged.
• Show honour-We can honour employee through framed or unframed certificates to hang on the wall or attach in the file.
• Pay positive attention to employee-The most important part of any organization is the people who work there. We all see great ideas and top managers are more worried about the results than about their staff. Due to lack of attention, employees are de-motivated and are not engaged in their jobs from heart. Managers need to sit down with employees and chat about their expectations and share what are expected from them.
• Transparent communication with employee-Communication and transparency are two things that can make or break any workplace. When communication is strong and visibility is transparent, employee is appreciated and team member work better, harder and smarter. We the managers need to share information about KPIs, Targets and performance. When these are not clear, employees are de-motivated.

Every employer and key person of an organization should not only be worried about result of business but also about the staff. Lack of proper appreciation, employees are de-motivated and as a result staff turnover rate increases gradually, which is epidemic for an organization. Staff turnover is one of the most non-productive business expenses. The loss of productivity, relational damage with customers and vendors, negative impact on staff morale and additional training time all create significant costs for companies.

Meeting more demands with fewer resources is a perfect recipe for stress that leads to burn out, discouragement and higher turnover rates, over the long haul. Research has shown that one of the primary reasons employees quit their jobs is they do not feel valued or appreciated.