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Having worked with clients around the globe in a multitude of industries, one thing remains the same: employees’ need for appreciation. When I ask the question, “What do you wish you had more of?” without exception, in every field, every culture, every country, I hear that common theme: “Feeling valued.” The comments range from the basic, “I wish I was more appreciated” and “It would be nice if my manager recognized my efforts,” to the more specific that hit much harder: “I wish I wasn’t made to feel replaceable all the time.” “All I ask is to be thanked for the extra effort I put in when no one else cares to step up.” “I stopped caring about trying hard when no one seems to notice.” The all-time shocker was: “It isn’t very motivating when you are compared to office furniture that can be changed out.” I hope we can all agree that these are not thoughts we want coming from our teams, and they certainly do not lead to an environment of engagement, a thriving culture, or high productivity—not to mention the inevitable poor Net Promoter scores!

What many managers fail to realize is that it really does not take that much to make an employee feel valued. It can be as easy as stopping by someone’s desk to “check in” on how things are going, without an agenda, or simply sitting with employees at lunch.

I decided to flip the script on my last four client visits; this time, I asked about their best experiences with managers. Although in four very different industries—medical device, banking, automotive, and a hospital network—the answers were all aligned, and not a single answer would represent the impossible for a manager. Here are samples of the statements shared: “I had a manager who set up quarterly 1:1s just to let me vent.” “The best manager I ever had made me feel heard. He leaned in to conversations, didn’t cut me off, and didn’t make excuses. He worked with me to find solutions and was actually willing to take suggestions from us.” “It is my current manager, and it is the first time in my career that I have heard, ‘Thank you for what you do.’” Then there are the managers who take it to the next level: “I had a manager, unsolicited, cover my audit so I could go to my son’s award ceremony. When I protested, he said, ‘Go cheer him on and send me a picture. I’ve got this.’ I’ll never forget him.” The loyalty that manager earned that day was worth more than those extra few hours he committed. Invaluable.

Other themes were:

• Acknowledges tough situations and appreciates the extra effort
• Asks about my family, remembers personal events, and revisits conversations to show they were listening
• Points out “value added” work, actually being recognized for my direct contribution
• “Thank you for a job well done” goes even further when it is linked to an identifiable task, showing you took real notice of their work specifically
• Gives credit where it is due on work, projects, papers, or ideas
• Tells others about what I am doing or how I am contributing
• Actively engages me about my career goals and shows interest in helping me grow

As simple as some of these requests are, many managers fail to make the time to do them. Schedule time to notice, recognize, and acknowledge your team members. Failing to show employees they matter can be more detrimental than people realize. By now, we have all heard the term “quiet quitting.” When employees feel underappreciated or devalued, this is the gateway to quiet quitting. Employees are showing up, but that is about it. When your team feels underappreciated or replaceable, you are getting the bare minimum that will keep them flying under the radar, and that FTE starts putting in part-time effort.

My challenge to everyone reading this is to flip the script! Don’t wait for employees to ask for recognition or to point out what they have done; be the first to see it. Just like at the airport: “If you see something, SAY SOMETHING!” Actively take interest. Look to see what your employees are doing. Be engaged. This, in turn, will raise their engagement, and everyone wins! When you put employees first, they are happier, work harder for you, take more pride in their work, job satisfaction increases, and therefore production goes up. Be the manager people WANT to work for and enjoy a legacy of being the person employees always reference when asked about the best manager they ever worked for!

–Melanie Wood, Talent Optimization Advisor, PI Midlantic