Are you in a management position and would love to give your staff a raise but it is just not in the cards? Here is how to make your team feel valued without money!
I am going to give you different tips that you can start using today! One thing to note though – this is not a one size fits all. You will have some team members who thrive on public praise, or some who prefer private praise, and some may get nothing from either one of those but rather prefer to take on more responsibility because that is what makes them feel valued.
Public Praise
Some individuals love it and thrive when they are given praise in front of their colleagues.
Private Praise
This type of praise is good and essential. It is as simple as the term. When you are meeting with this individual during a one-on-one meeting and they are doing a great job, tell them! It may not seem like a lot, but it goes a long way for a person who prefers this type of praise.
If you are really trying to make the individual feel valued, then do it right! There is nothing worse than having a boss who only ever tells you “You are doing a great job! Keep up the good work.” This only leaves questions like, what am I doing a great job at? These types of encouragements are nice but can almost seem very sticker-ish (sticker-ish = generic).
Be specific. Are they doing a great job meeting production? Are you getting good feedback about them from other managers or team members? Was there a specific project they did a great job on?
Ask for Their Opinion
One of the most impactful ways to value someone is to ask them for their opinion. A person’s voice is one of the most important things to them.
It is best to do this during an unexpected time. This could look something like this:
“Hey Judy – I just want to let you know that I really value your opinion, and I want to bounce some ideas off of you.”
Getting to know everyone you work with and what adds fuel to their “feeling valued” fire will only make you a better leader. But how do you know who needs what?
- If you work for a larger organization, your HR department may have access to your team’s Personal Index Survey. This should give you some insight on each person’s driving factors.
- If not, then on your next one-on-one with your team, simply ask them what method they prefer. This not only lets them know that you are thinking about these things, but it also allows you to get the answers you need to start making them feel valued.
Author: Brittany Moreira, Director Revenue Cycle Management, Healthrise
