Monday, July 15, 2013

BRINGING VALUE TO YOUR TEAM MEMBERS

The following is an excerpt from an article from Forbes magazine that focuses in on how to make your employees feel valued.  This could be a head coach dealing with his staff, coaches dealing with players -- or even with your managers and support staff.  You can read the entire article here.

1. Be Intentional with Everyday Conversations
Employees and managers alike are often ingrained with the idea that “everyone is replaceable.” But I’ve found that a big part of feeling valued occurs when employees are aware that they add something to the company that no one else can.

2. Show Them that Others Need Them, Too
While recognition can serve as a great motivator, it can also become a little routine when it always comes from a direct manager.

3. Challenge Them
Every job comes with less-than-glamorous responsibilities. But it’s important to balance out that grunt work with challenging assignments, too. When you only dole out repetitive tasks (or tasks beneath someone’s skill level), you’re conveying that you don’t really need his or her specific, individual talents. (Come on, anyone could update a client information spreadsheet!)

On the other hand, when you assign an employee a challenging task and actually put your trust in him or her to see it through, what you’re saying is, “I know you’re capable of this, and I trust you to do a great job.”

4. Recognize Them as Individuals
To boost team morale, it’s great to do something for your entire team—like catering lunch or bringing in donuts. But if you’re aiming to show your appreciation for an individual, it can easily get lost in these types of group celebrations. In one fell swoop, your top salesperson and newbie intern have just been rewarded with the same exact thing: a slice of pizza. Guess how valued your top employee is going to feel?