Happy National Employee Appreciation Day!

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Hello, fellow Steemians! Some of you have the joy of not dealing with co-workers and bosses. Today is not about you. It is a day for Corporate America to celebrate their key to success: their employees!

If you have read some of my other posts, you know that I have a day job, and it is not one I particularly enjoy through no fault of the company, the people working there, or the client we serve. It is simply not something I enjoy doing. In spite of that, I have received kudos from the client and have been awarded PTO for my performance. I try to improve in every area I can, as I view work as a blessing, and do my best every day regardless of how I feel about my position or my employer.

So, for all of the great bosses and supervisors out there, thank you for all that you do to support your co-workers and employees. For all the employees out there, Happy National Employee Appreciation Day! I just wanted to share some thoughts that have been weighing on me today regarding how managers should treat employees, especially when it comes to negative criticism.

As a Manager or Supervisor, Think Carefully Before Giving Negative Feedback

Just prior to receiving an email this afternoon from corporate thanking us for our hard work, my team received an email threatening to place anyone who received negative feedback from the client on a Performance Improvement Plan. He was apologetic, stating that he did not like doing this sort of thing (I don't think any boss does). The email did not mention anyone in particular, and stated that the majority of the team performs extremely well, but the unfortunate timing of that email made it stand out in my mind and it ruined my day.

Develop a Positive Rapport

Letting your employees know you appreciate their hard work can go a long way in fostering trust between you and your employees. Make it genuine. Carve out 5 minutes a week to craft a thank-you email that is not appended to the end of the daily performance report. Buy donuts for everyone every quarter. It does not have to be something monetary, but support your words with actions

Deliver it

Failure to deliver negative feedback is not an option. As a manager or supervisor, it is your job to do it, and do it well. There are hundreds of articles on delivering negative feedback, but here's the executive summary:

Do it in private
Set ego and emotions aside
Be specific
Listen as much as you talk
Ask probing questions
Allow the employee to have a say in what happens as a result where appropriate
Commend the employee for what he/she does well

Autonomy Alleviates the stress associated with customer service

Research proves it. If you have great employees and you want to keep them around (i.e. alive), you must give them autonomy. And you CAN'T do it all at once. This cannot be done in a micromanaged environment where employees do not trust management and vice versa. Focus first on establishing a positive rapport with employees. Giving control to employees gradually instead of all at once keeps you from having to backtrack later down the road after realizing it is not something they are able to handle. Let them know that they are supported and appreciated through regular communication.

I hope you found this useful and inspirational. If you are in a toxic environment at work, I would love to hear from you.