Supervisory 101: recognize the good things your employees do. I recognize the members of my department. I go home every night knowing that I have a super staff. I have an awesome staff. I know it and they know it too.
Or do they? Sure, I may not always get awards written up and submitted each quarter but at the end of the year, I make up for lost time. In meetings I acknowledge the output of the department, the work that is done each and everyday and thank people individually for their achievements. I am often blown away by the initiative and engagement I see. "Great job," I think (and say as I remember and have the time) and consider it exactly that - a part of their job. In most cases, I do not follow up with further recognition.
Well, over the past 45 days I have been. I have been looking for examples of outstanding customer service by each individual, not by the collective department. I have been presenting each individual with a "WOW" pin for "Working on Wonderful." Now, before you start thinking I am simply wonderful myself, you have to know that this campaign was the result of our Work Life Improvement Committee and I was doing it because all supervisors were required to. I went into this a little bucky because I felt recognition was alive and well in my department and that this campaign would seem a little contrived. Well, I realized that neither was true.
I realized that I was not putting much time and effort into recognition. I realized that I was not seeing the individual contributions of each staff member. I realized that I was not looking. I realized that a little effort goes a long way. I realized that each employee gained from focused, specific, timely recognition
I realized that I gained more.
