| Developing loyal customers begins with developing a | | | | possibly a day off with pay or more flexible work |
| team that understands the importance of | | | | time to allow for more family time. |
| customer-focused service and cares about the total | | | | 6. Offer opportunities to improve skills and utilize new |
| customer experience. | | | | knowledge. Seminars, workshops and other |
| A key building block of developing high-performance | | | | specialized training are powerful motivators to high |
| employees is recognizing the behaviours that you | | | | performing employees who are interested in |
| want repeated - those that ultimately create loyalty | | | | improving their performance and expertise. Follow this |
| with your customer. | | | | up with the opportunity to apply these new skills in a |
| Employees who receive regular recognition are | | | | useful way for the organization. |
| happier in their jobs, they stay with the company | | | | 7. Provide software upgrades and enhanced tools and |
| longer, and they are more productive. Ultimately, | | | | equipment. A better computer, an updated phone |
| recognizing employees encourages them to provide | | | | system, or even a coffee pot with added features |
| superior service because their attitudes about their | | | | let employees know you understand their need for a |
| workplace are improved. Recognition is the ultimate | | | | quality work environment. |
| performance excelerator. | | | | 8. Throw a little competition into the mix by holding |
| Identify the appropriate level and type of recognition | | | | employee performance contests. Increased sales, |
| that individual employee's value. Before you decide on | | | | customer recommendations or other monitors can |
| how to recognize desired behaviours, you first need | | | | create a fun, yet competitive atmosphere for |
| to realize that not all employees are motivated by | | | | recognizing excellence and achievement. |
| the same things. Importantly, employee recognition | | | | 9. Show appreciation to employees in front of their |
| need not be extravagant or expensive -- recognition | | | | peers -- where it matters most. Some employees are |
| is a much broader activity than reward, which is | | | | impacted most by public recognition. For them, |
| simply one aspect of recognition. | | | | consider a trophy or plaque with their name imprinted |
| | | | on it, or a story about them in the company |
| 1. Knowing when to recognize an employee is as | | | | newsletter. Be aware, some employees may find this |
| important as knowing how. There are times when | | | | public display very uncomfortable, so make sure you |
| recognizing an entire team is most valuable and other | | | | are sensitive to these feelings when providing public |
| times recognition will work best when given | | | | accolades. |
| individually. Too much group recognition leads | | | | 10. Highlight the team member who shows the best |
| high-performers to lower their performance to the | | | | job performance. Create an "Employee of the |
| lowest common denominator since low performers | | | | Month". Even something as simple as a certificate or |
| get the same recognition anyway. The ideal is to | | | | a parking place near the door can motivate |
| blend the 2 types based on your specific situation | | | | performance. Post their photos and names on the |
| and team. | | | | employee bulletin board, or announce their |
| 2. Timing is everything. In every case, timeliness is | | | | achievements over the PA system. This also |
| critical. Recognition long after the event has occurred | | | | provides a great opportunity to reinforce the desired |
| loses all value. The time after the event should | | | | behaviours as part of the presentation to the |
| reflect the event. If it is for a specific behaviour, it | | | | employee that wins each month. |
| should be within 24 hours. However, if the recognition | | | | 11. Say thank you. Often these two little words mean |
| is for a longer term initiative it can be sometime after | | | | more when creating loyal employees than anything |
| the event -- for example at a formal presentation. | | | | else you can do. Use them often and let your team |
| 3. Use a variety of recognition techniques. Like timing, | | | | members know you value their efforts. |
| recognition must be aligned with the behaviour being | | | | 12. Start slow. If this isn't usual behaviour or if |
| recognized. Make sure the significance of the | | | | recognition is currently an under-utilized technique, a |
| recognition reflects the activity being recognized. A | | | | sudden change will raise eyebrows and potential |
| heartfelt thank you for handling a difficult customer | | | | suspicion. So build up. Make a personal commitment to |
| or staying to finish a project one night might be | | | | start with a small moment of recognition daily and |
| exactly right, but would be woefully inadequate if | | | | build from there. Employees will see this as more |
| someone stayed late for 2 weeks in a row to get a | | | | genuine and will recognize you for your efforts to |
| special assignment completed. If everything sounds | | | | make a personal change in behaviour. And commit to |
| the same, it doesn't feel sincere and over time your | | | | the long term, otherwise a sudden burst will increase |
| program will lose its effectiveness. | | | | cynicism for any future initiative. |
| 4. Consider a company picnic, retreat, catered dinner, | | | | 13. Ask your employees for their input. Leverage |
| seasonal party, or other social event. Spend time in | | | | their creativity about what type of program they |
| conversation, laughing, talking with employees and | | | | would find most meaningful to establish a recognition |
| just having fun. Get to know a little bit about each | | | | program that works best for them. |
| person -- use this time to better understand what | | | | 14. Make sure you recognize desired behaviours. Don't |
| motivates each person. One of the most powerful | | | | simply have a recognition program for anything that |
| forms of recognition is letting employees know that | | | | goes well. Every time you provide recognition make |
| leadership is concerned about them as individuals, not | | | | sure it is linked to a specific value, principle or |
| simply workers. A great lead-in question is "What do | | | | behaviour that you want to see repeated. |
| they like to do during their time off?" | | | | By implementing these and other ideas, you let your |
| 5. Money is not the ultimate motivator, but cash is still | | | | team know how grateful you are for their |
| a good incentive. A cash bonus, a gift card, or a pay | | | | contribution. You will develop a loyal team who feel |
| raise often work well as employee recognition. | | | | appreciated and important. Such an effort is |
| However, consider other, non-monetary options -- | | | | guaranteed to enhance your customer service. |