1. Define and champion the behavior you want to see.
Positive reinforcement makes people feel noticed and valued, compelling them to repeat what they do well. But leaders usually do a better job of telling employees what they do wrong.
More than 70 percent of employees have never even heard their bosses say “thank you.” Modeling desired behavior can be as easy as minding your manners.
2. Give everyone a trophy.
Recognize a broad range of efforts and activities to avoid breeding resentment among employees contributing smaller amounts. Not everyone should receive the same recognition, but each employee should receive some.
A recent survey found that 40 percent of employees would put forth more effort if they felt recognized by their bosses — but 82 percent said they didn’t. Acknowledgment isn’t about offering carrots; it’s about bringing out the best in people.
3. Create culture metrics and share them.
One study found that 64 percent of employees surveyed didn’t feel that they had a strong work culture. That might be because engagement isn’t being measured correctly to begin with. Ninety-eight percent of CEOs surveyed said they look at annual employee engagement surveys only once a year, and many acknowledged not even discussing them with their employees.
Becoming more transparent can be tricky for some organizations, but digging into this data with your team is a great way to reinforce the importance of culture.
4. Broaden the conversation.
In our hyperconnected world, people expect to have a say in the things that affect their lives, and their work lives are no different. Example: Foodpanda in Singapore pushed its average delivery time down to 30 minutes by zeroing in on its employees’ mental and physical well-being and offering rewards for their hard work.
So, don’t give up decision-making; just include more people in the process to broaden buy-in. The impact can be astounding.
5. Promote informal communication to strengthen social connections.
When people feel connected socially, they’re not only more likely to stay at your company, they’re also more productive, collaborative and open to new ideas.