LEADERSHIP INSIGHTS

1. Be intentional about appreciation. Know that it is in your duties as assigned if you want to keep people. Give it thought and effort.
2. Hand write appreciation notes and mail them to employees’ homes.
3. Delegate the facilitation of a team ice breaker for staff meetings so that everyone takes a turn. Cella has great ideas for this!
4. Invite your team to read about Appreciation Language in the workplace, take the assessment and share their results with each other in a team or supervisory discussion.
5. Ask each person to share something they value about the team in a round robin.
6. Collect pictures of everyone, especially in bigger departments, and post on your intranet.
7. Invite people to share what they appreciate about themselves.

“Flexibility in hours: Generally I am at my computer during normal business hours, but I have the freedom to be a bit flexible as needed without feeling like I am going to get in trouble if I don’t immediately respond to a message.”

Leaders: Can you let go of some control?

• Look for opportunities to flex if the time something is done is not as critical as what is done.
• Don’t run with stories in your head if you can’t immediately reach someone or get an instant response.
• Assume the best about your employees.
• Be clear if certain “time in seat” is necessary, but check in with yourself about why. Is it just because that’s when you are in your seat, and if so, is that reason enough? Push back on your old beliefs with, “Is this really true, necessary, or value added?”

“Trust: I have heard one of the concerns businesses have about their employees working from home is that with no one watching them, they won’t actually be working. I think it is important for a supervisor to look at the quality of the work produced and not worry so much about how much of the day the employee was in their chair. I feel trusted to complete the tasks of my role, and I think that goes a long way in the satisfaction of my job.”

Leaders: Can you allow yourself to trust people?

• Be clear about work results and deadlines.
• Have discussions about what does “done well” look like so that both of you know the answer.
• Let go of worrying that an employee will pause work to throw in a load of laundry. If the “done well” is met, SO WHAT? If it is not, go back to the first bullet point.
• Be transparent about trust. Try starters such as, “Here are some signs that I might be concerned about productivity,” or “How would I know you were struggling to keep on track?”