How to get more out of workers

I was walking through the park on my daily routine when I noticed a man driving one of those giant lawnmowers that cut swaths about 10 lawnmowers wide. He was conscientious about how he mowed it and wanted to ensure everything looked good. I raised my hand to stop him, and he turned off the motors. I thanked him for the fine work he'd been doing in the park, and a big smile came over his face. I don't know that anyone had ever thanked him before.

At the Denver airport, a worker was picking up trash from around the seats and gathering bags out of the trash cans. He was moving slowly, and you could tell it wasn't what he wanted to be doing right then. I walked up to him and said thank you for keeping this place so lovely and clean. He smiled as if I'd just given him $1000. He had a pep in his step and newfound energy for doing his daily job.

I was in a hotel in Park City where they were serving free breakfast, and the young girl was organizing the various boxes of cereal, milk containers, and coffee creamers. You can guess where I'm going. I went over to thank her for keeping everything so nice and clean and making sure we all had what we were looking for for breakfast. She smiled, thanked me, and expressed her appreciation.

When was the last time you complimented or appreciated one of your employees? Many bosses or managers sometimes fear complimenting their employees for various reasons. Sometimes, they just feel that people should do their job and be happy. Others don't want to get into the habit of constantly finding positive things to say to motivate them. Others feel it's demeaning to step down to their level. There are several more, but I'm here to encourage you to find someone to compliment daily. Ensure you don't ignore anyone and look for the lowest on the totem pole to reach out to them first. You will get more productivity, attention to detail, reduced mistakes, on-time deliveries, better relationships among the workers, more accountability, and much happier customers if you treat your employees with value and appreciation.

It's a simple act that can make a world of difference. And the best part? It won't cost you a thing. So why not give it a try?