Little touches in leadership make a lasting impression

I have seen my fair share of good leadership in my time in the workplace and, after working since the age of 12, from my experience, it is the small touches which make people feel seen that have a stronger impact than grand gestures.

Grand gestures such as pay rises, longer leave, financial bonuses, better conditions, flexible working hours, would help anyone to enjoy work more (of course), but they often require a much bigger budget, are dependent on company resources and permission from the top of the leadership structure, and are therefore more difficult to implement on a grand scale.

The one thing most people want in life and work is to feel valued, because when we do not feel this, we start to question the point of being somewhere – in a relationship, in a job, in a role or in the home. Leaders do not need big budgets to speak to people, recognise good work or show they are appreciated. What it takes in empathy, good communication and someone who values how people feel enough to put time aside to do it.

Here are 5 things leaders can do that require a small/ to minimal budget, help employees feel seen and boost morale:

1. Be aware of what is going on in the team members’ private lives. Be aware of health scares, health concerns, operations, family worries, relationship issues and perhaps even financial problems. Do what you can to alleviate these problems by offering upfront payments to be paid back, time off to attend appointments or court hearings, and check in on them regularly to ensure they are well enough to do their job and to show that you care about their wellbeing.
2. Allow parents to be involved in their kids’ lives when they have to work. Working parents, especially women, are often riddled with ‘mum guilt’ for not being there for after school activities, not having full summer holidays to enjoy together or not being there for pick up to hear the events of the day. By allowing parents to go to concerts, sports days, performances which take place in school time (remember, this is not many per year and most things take place after school once they get to secondary), allows them to feel involved, reduces some of the guilt and makes employees appreciate their bosses more than they will realise. I have heard stories of so many leaders who have put bans on any time off at all for any ‘child related school’ issue, except sickness, meaning they were not allowed to even be present for the child’s first day at school or Christmas concert! I have also witnessed leaders specifically seeking out parents with young children and offering them time off, if needed, and their work to be covered. It really does have everything to do with the leader and the relationship they want with their staff.
3. Reward good work. This does not have to be buying donuts or giving everyone a free coffee, it can just be a simple ‘thank you’ or pointing out the good work someone has done. The words ‘thank you’ are so powerful and are also taken so much for granted. But just as we are told about the ill-effects of fake (or unspecified) praise, make sure the person is being thanked for something in particular and something specific, rather than ‘great work’ or ‘good job’, as fake compliments are equal to no compliments. Rewards, incentives, bonuses, certificates and ceremonies are all ways to appreciate hard work and show employees that they are being recognised, their work is being seen by others and they are valued as part of the team.
4. Trust your team. The amount of people I know who have been scared to ask for time off for important events, have had to feign sickness due to fear of being denied leave or make up a lie to fit in with some company leave policy, is ridiculous. If you have a good relationship with your team, you will know what is important to them, you will know who would never ask if it did not mean a lot to them, and you would also be aware of team members who potentially had been dishonest or taken advantage in the past. You will know the ones who are not performing, will know who has a strong work ethic and who is genuine in their request for leave. I understand there are policies and leaders must abide by them to ensure equality and transparency, however, if someone is coming to you asking for leave for something important, trust it is important to them and assume best intentions.
5. Push your team towards their strengths. This is one thing I have never experienced in 30 years of working. Having a leader who knows what your goals are, knows your strengths, can see opportunities for you and push you towards them is something I have never seen. I have had leaders who supported me in pushing myself but if I had not been intrinsically motivated as part of my make-up, I would still be plodding along at the bottom of the pile. I believe leaders should seek out opportunities to grow their teams. They should be delegating tasks to them which give them new skills, enhance their CVs or get them a foot in the door to where they want to go. When internal posts come up, leaders should be looking at their own teams and encouraging them to apply. If they know that those opportunities are not within their own company, they should be supporting them to get the experience where they are now so as to move on and develop. Friends do it, spouses do it, colleagues do it, but it is something I have rarely seen leadership do, and this saddens me, as this would help that person’s confidence grow more than any coffee offered to them for ‘good work’.

These are all relatively easy, non-time-consuming and cheap tasks but they could all have a monumental impact on employee loyalty, wellness and development. What they require is time and effort to show you value the input of each of your team. To build trust, you need to show that you know your team well, are approachable, are personable, you understand them and empathise with them. Your actions must meet your words and you must be professional in your dealings.

What have you done from this list to ensure workplace wellness from your team and how could it be improved in your company?