Appreciation is the key to workplace happiness

A survey conducted by Forbes in 2018 showed that of all people who quit their jobs, 79% of them quoted ‘not feeling appreciated’ as the reason to leave. And another poll conducted by Gallup in 2019 showed that 85% of people were unhappy in their jobs!

For something that is so easy to do, it always shocks me how little some line managers know their team. Do they know their goals, their family situations, their 5-year plan, what they feel to be their strengths and weaknesses? Only a few know how to make their team feel supported and know how to talk them down from an outburst or listen to them while they cry about a situation. In some workplaces with rigorous performance management systems or appraisals, there will be some bosses with a great knowledge and understanding about their team members and will use their leadership skills to get the best from staff. However, there are managers and leaders in so many workplaces who do not place importance on building those relationships but then do not understand why so many employees leave.

Making people feel valued is easy and not time-consuming. Here are 5 things you can do as a boss to make your team feel appreciated:

1. Popping to see your team and asking how they are (go to them)
2. Tell them something they have done well on a regular basis and make sure it is not a fake compliment
3. Support them to become what you need them to be without blame or shame
4. Try to avoid resorting to warnings and threats unless they do not respond to support
5. Listen to them in a non-judgmental manner – empathy goes a long way

If you are a boss, whether it is to a nanny, housekeeper or huge team in a corporate office, it is essential that you find the time to do these things if you want your team to work with you and for you. If you stay in your office, paying them no attention and never getting to know them on a personal level, they will not look up to you as a leader to respect, and will not make the effort to go out of their way for you. So, when they are feeling stressed or a little sick, they will not go the extra mile to come into work and will take days off more frequently.

So many institutions now talk about staff wellbeing and tick the boxes to show they are acting on improving wellness, but what it really comes down to is caring for those in your team and making them feel like they are doing a good job. Having empathy towards their family situations, knowing if someone’s behavior has changed to know if it is out of character and then talking to them about it, recognizing strengths while supporting their weaknesses, all goes a long way in keeping your staff and making them want to continue working for you.

As a leader or boss, if you have to create a wellness day or do specific activities to show you are fulfilling certain criteria, you have not embedded staff wellbeing into your team or company. It should be something at the forefront of every business because if staff are unhappy they will be less motivated, less efficient and less productive. It is one of the easiest things to speak to people, have conversations and take some time out of your busy day to check that everyone is OK.

Many leaders are very diligent in running their business and making sure that everything is ticking over, but, so few of them have the people skills to lead a team and inspire them to aspire towards their own dreams and support them in getting there. Communication skills are essential to running a team or building any relationship, but in a study conducted by Inc.com, 76% claimed their boss was toxic and if we remind ourselves that people do not leave jobs, they leave bosses, it highlights the importance of compassion at work.

Such simple and small acts can make all the difference in keeping your team happy and your business productive, yet it is something that is always forgotten when things become stressful or the to-do list grows. If you run a team of people or work with colleagues, perhaps just take some time out in your day to chat to everyone and ask how they are. Making them feel appreciated could be the difference between employees staying or leaving and taking time out of your day to pay a little attention to them can make a huge difference in making them feel valued and worthy in their role.