Your business depends mostly on the work your employees do to keep it running. If all these employees were gone tomorrow, then your ability to do business would come to a screeching halt. For this reason, it is necessary for a boss to take the time to show acts of appreciation towards their employees. When employees know that you care and appreciate the work they do, this is a game changer. This gets employees thinking more positively about the company for which they work. Going to Work becomes something more than doing the minimal required to earn a paycheck. Rather, employees start to feel like they are part of something bigger than themselves, and they will even enjoy working for such a boss. The following are a few acts of appreciation that show that you truly care as a boss.
Provide Better Coffee
You may not know this, but you are on trial in the eyes of your employees. The kind of coffee you provide for them in the workplace goes a long way towards either saying you are a cheap boss with no real class versus you are a thoughtful boss that appreciates the hard work your employees do. Sure, the gourmet coffee may be a little more expensive, but offering the good coffee can cause your employees to judge you less harshly. In addition, excellent coffee is like getting a bonus, because it means your employees are not paying so much out of pocket for coffee on their way into work. Coffee also adds to the cultural vibe of a company as well.
People Are Human
While there are many things you can do to get your employees to think that you care and walk on water, how you handle the mistakes of your employees is perhaps one of the greatest areas to consider of all. It is true that you do not want to come off as a big softy that everyone can walk all over, but at the same time, you do not want to forget that people are human and do make mistakes. If you can show reasonable compassion in this area, this will go a long way into conveying that you care for your employees even when they did not do their best.
Communicating Appreciation Matters
Imagine working for a boss who never pulls you aside to tell you that you are doing a good job or that you are a highly valued employee of the company. Such a work scenario can actually drive employees to look for work elsewhere: some place where they will be noticed and acknowledged as their work having meaning and value. If a gruff, disciplinarian boss were to simply change into a positive person who acknowledges that they value the work their employees do for them, then they would see their company’s overall performance increase to new heights.
Create Comfort
One way to beef up morale and get your employees thinking you are a boss who cares is reflected in the look and feel of the office you oversee. If your office is dark and has old furniture, then this will rob your business of the upbeat look and feel it should be exuding. Bringing in more appropriate lighting and switching out the old stuff for something newer, classier office furniture and decor can make a huge difference. Not only will your employees start to think you care about them and the business, but your clients will start to think so too.
Being a boss is difficult in our modern age. Getting employees to perceive you as a person that cares about your employees is more a concern today than in decades past. By getting your employees to perceive you as someone who cares, this will help to make the atmosphere and culture of your company one where employees feel like a valued part of what is going on with your business.