Loving Your People

What exactly does that mean? Because we all know, not everyone is easy to love (my sister when she was in the 10^th grade for instance… in fairness, she probably says the same thing about me). And when I say to “Love Your People”, it’s not love in the sense of “I’ve fallen madly for you, and I can’t live without you” type of love. It’s love in the form of appreciation. It’s loving by caring about who people are as individuals, not just as employees.  It’s loving by simply making eye contact and saying hi when you’re walking by their cube or office which tells them that “You Matter.” It’s the simple things.

Employee appreciation can include complex offerings if your business has the bandwidth to manage these programs, and for those of you with tight (or non-existent) budgets, inexpensive (or free!) ideas are plentiful as well! Here’s a few pointers and some fun ideas to try:

1. First, not everyone likes to be recognized publicly. Know your team.
2. Celebrate employment anniversaries! Have cake or throw a potluck every month and celebrate those who have employment anniversaries in that month. Make a BIG deal out of the milestone anniversaries!
3. Have contests and award prizes. How about the best decorated cube (or office section) for Halloween or Christmas? Make sure that trophy is something to covet, and give each member on the wining team a small gift card. Coffee gift cards are always appreciated, and everyone knows that when we are caffeinated, we are more productive!
4. Get specific with incentives. Have contests and handsomely award the winners with prizes that means something. One of my all-time favorite responses from a team member when I asked what would motivate them: “Say it with CA$H”
5. Thank you notes. Never underestimate the value of a hand-written note of appreciation.
6. Celebrate birthdays! Not publicly, because Jane in Accounting does NOT want everyone to know she’s 56 when she tells everyone that she’s 49…). This is where a thoughtful (private) email ON their birthday let’s them know you care. 
7. Catch Them Doing Something Right. YES! As you are walking through the office each day, listen to what’s going on. Are they closing a sale? Are they going above and beyond to offer the right solution? Are they fixing a customer issue? Do they always have something positive to say to others? Are they helping someone to fix a problem? Recognize these things and reward them. I used to carry $2 bills for this purpose. I also used the gold Sacagawea dollar coins when they were minted. Or up the game a bit if your budget allows, and drop a $20 gift card on the lucky recipient. 
8. Help with costs that employees incur by coming to work. Gas. Tolls. Subway or Bus tickets. Time. It all adds up. Every so often, hold a raffle for gas cards, or for $20 (or more) to offset toll costs. Raffle off a subscription to an Audible book club that makes the commute more enjoyable. Everyone is eligible!
9. Recognize non-work achievements and skills. We all have to work, but what we do outside of work can be amazing! Have a catered lunch and invite Aaron to show pictures from his two week bike trip in Baja. Or ask Brianna to conduct an overview of the self-defense training that she does on the weekends during an afternoon break. And don’t forget to include Kevin – he just completed his fourth Ironman competition. WOW!
10. Bring your dog to work day. This may not work everywhere, but everyone knows that the fluffies reduce stress, and in general make people happier with their cuteness alone!
11. Invest in cool swag. People love free stuff, and it’s even better when you can wear (or use) free stuff at work! Pop for the Yeti mugs and for the Northface fleece with the company logo on it. You get the idea.    
12. Say thank you. It’s the simple things, right?

At Above The Tree Line, we are “people” people! Our entire careers have focused on our teams (our people) to get results, and we couldn’t have done that if we hadn’t loved them well.

We’ve educated, motivated, recognized, and empowered people to rise above the standards for excellence. We have seen companies grow and redefine themselves when their people are fully engaged and challenged, poised to reach the goals you’ve set in front of them.

Do you need inspiration for your teams? Are there opportunities in front of you that your people can lean into and support? Contact us today, allow us to equip your teams to rise above!