Catch your employees doing something right and give them praise for it. More often then not as managers we tend to be more involved when things are not going well or when things are not going as planned. So our attitudes tends to be one of enforcing policy or problem solving, rather then one of support and encouragement. Change this perception of who you are. Check on your employees and thank them for their hard work and effort. Now that doesn't mean that you should praise them for just anything. The praise should be in reference to their work performance. This does a few things like:
1. It lets them know that they are a valuable part of the work force.
2. It reinforces positive work performance and encourages more of the same.
3. It builds self confidence.
4. It causes others to step up performance.
5. It tells the employees that you notice more than just their mistakes.
6. It send the message that you appreciate them and what they do.
7. It gives you more respect from employees.
As a leader you are not just there when things go wrong but you also need to be there with powerful praise when things are going right. Building a bridge of respect and trust with your employees and they will perform for you in any circumstance and under any conditions. Remember that everyone is important to the success of a company no matter what job they perform. One person can be the difference between good and great, be the person that takes action toward great and catch them doing something right.
