Have you ever given all your staff members bonuses, and then wondered why it seemed to make no impact on their loyalty or productivity? Did only a few even thank you for their bonus?
Contrary to popular belief, the number one reason good staff members leave a practice is not for more money. Numerous experts have determined the main reason good people leave is they do not feel appreciated.
At work, people express and receive appreciation in different ways. If you try to express appreciation in ways that aren’t meaningful to your staff members, they may not feel valued at all. This is because you and your staff members are speaking different languages.
Dr. Gary Chapman, bestselling author of the 5 Love Languages partnered with Dr. Paul White, a business consultant, to create The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace to help identify different communication styles. The result is an incredible resource that I believe all optometrists managing staff should read.
The list of appreciation languages below are from their book. Take the time to discover the languages of your staff members and review their language of affirmation. This tool can help you start communicating to your staff in a language they understand.
- Words of Affirmation – Spend concentrated time on these staff members by sending simple thank you notes or stopping them in the hall to just say “thank you.” People who respond to Words of Affirmation know they are important when they are told exactly that. If you notice they did something good, make a quick note and communicate it.
- Quality Time – Not all of my 20-plus staff members require Quality Time, I discovered, much to my relief. However, there are a couple of staff members that I do need to sit down with weekly and give them my time to communicate their importance to me. This knowledge has allowed me to concentrate my time most appropriately.
- Acts of Service – Offer to assist a staff member who responds to Acts of Service with her daily “to-do” list and you have communicated you appreciate her. Be ready for her attitude to be positive and encouraged after she watches you help with a couple of tasks. You don’t have to do all the work, but you might vacuum the carpet one evening to help her get home earlier.
- Tangible Gifts – Those $10 AMEX gift cards will go much further and it will cost you less if you only give them to the staff members who communicate through the language of Tangible Gifts. These people may be ambivalent to Words of Affirmation, so acknowledging their work well done may not make an impact. Give them a gift and they will know you care.
- Physical Touch – if you determine this is the primary language of a staff member, it would be wise to refrain from anything more than a handshake or pat on the back.
All people know they are appreciated when their preferred language is spoken to them. When people are appreciated, they are more loyal, and the workplace environment will be more encouraging and productive.
