| 1. |
Be nice. It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice. |
| 2. |
Smile. A smile says "approval" in any language. |
| 3. |
Call workers by their names often. Use a nickname if the employee prefers it. To address people as though they are nameless is to insult them. Insulted employees strike back by doing less work. |
| 4. |
Be there. Your physical presence shows employees you care about what they're doing. |
| 5. |
Model the behavior you want from your employees. Actions instruct more clearly than words. Double standards always undermine performance. |
| 6. |
Include employees in social events. Join them for coffee breaks and lunches. Your attention is a powerful social skill. Employees work better when they know you value them as people not just as employees. |
| 7. |
Talk with employees, not at them. Look them in the eyes. Face them with your whole body. Confer with them from a distance of two to four feet (close enough to be social, but not too close.) |
| 8. |
Be sensitive to the major events in an employee's life (birthdays, anniversaries, awards, family crises, illnesses, accidents, injuries). Pay attention to their hobbies, community service, social activities - even their pets. |
| 9. |
Ask employees for advice about policies, procedures, plans and performance. Asking for advice tells them you recognize their knowledge about the job and shows respect for their judgment. These are important compliments. |
| 10. |
Praise employees often and genuinely. Don't bother with lavish flattery; that doesn't work. Instead, try to "catch them doing something right," and then compliment them on what you see. |
| 11. |
Say "please" and "thank you." Recognize that employees are free human beings who follow your directions by choice. People do better work when they're aware, and when they know you're aware the work is their choice. Besides, "please" and "thank you" are good manners. |
| 12. |
Compliment exemplary or extraordinary employee performance in writing, for the record. Putting it in writing adds weight to the compliment. Sending copies to other supervisors and managers adds importance. Putting a written commendation in the employee's file makes it official and permanent. |
| 13. |
Offer to help. Whether on a job matter or a personal problem, be willing to pitch in with extra time and effort. We want willingness to contribute extra time and effort from employees, but we can only expect what we're willing to give. To get real caring and loyalty, we have to give real caring and loyalty. |
| 14. |
Share information. Communicate quickly and accurately with employees about policy or personnel changes, rumors, reorganizations - all sharable matters of interest in the organization. This makes people feel they belong by letting them belong. It helps them better understand how to do their work and why. It induces them to share more information with you. |
| 15. |
Pass along compliments from customers or VIPs in the organization. Seek such compliments through personal contacts and follow-ups with VIPs. |
| 16. |
Be flexible and creative. Remember the highest priority is always to get a job done quickly, efficiently and well. A supervisor who inflexibly focuses on assuring that rules are followed often interferes with the highest priority. Remember also that we want employees to be flexible and creative, so we must model flexibility and creativity in our interactions with them. |
| 17. |
Give employees choices when possible about assignments, scheduling and lead responsibilities. Most people do a better job with work they've chosen. |
| 18. |
Generate work group identity and energy through work group events. Work groups make better teams when they have occasional picnics, potluck lunches and other group celebrations. |
| 19. |
Recognize employees. Any time an employee is promoted, receives an award (work related or not), is cited in a newspaper or magazine, announce the honor in a meeting or see that it is noted in print in your organization's newsletter. |
| 20. |
Endorse employees' work. Add your comments or initials to reports, memos, graphs, etc. to show your support and endorsement of their work. |
| 21. |
Introduce employees to VIPs. As part of the introduction, point out an example of excellent work the employee had done. Treat people like stars and they'll behave like stars. |
| 22. |
Establish employee incentives. Such honors as "employee of the month special parking places," not to mention bonuses, not only serve as incentives in themselves, but also make an enjoyable competitive game out of working well. Such employee incentives work best when they are highly visible and somewhat playful. |
| 23. |
Provide opportunities for special training, evaluating equipment for purchase, attending special meetings and conferences, participating in important decisions. You want employees who will grow with your organization; make it possible for them to do so. |
| 24. |
Increase employees' responsibility. When employees grow, it's essential that their assignments grow commensurately. Otherwise, they'll get bored and feel unrecognized. Don't feed baby food to carnivores. Beware, though, not to give too much "meat" too soon. |
| 25. |
Listen actively. When an employee speaks to you, do your best to hear and understand what s/he means. Help her/him get the message across by giving clear feedback and asking appropriate questions. Remember, meanings are not in words; meanings are in people. |
