Employees are the fuel to your business. They are what makes the machine run on a daily basis. Without them, what would your business be? Showing your employees how much you appreciate them can go a long way. Not only are they going to less likely to leave, their enthusiasm overflows into their interactions with their students and parents. Positive energy spreads like wildfire with simple acts of appreciation that don’t have to cost a lot of money. It’s the thought that counts, right?
You can’t miss the positive energy when you walk into Peak Kids. I left energized and really uplifted – and I wasn’t even taking a class there. Being a fly on the wall was an eye opening experience for me – I saw how much time and energy Mardi Obray puts into the business and her staff. It is definitely paying off in big ways!
It’s the month of love, so it’s a great time to start thinking about how you can show your staff appreciation. But don’t stop in February! This should be a year round priority for you as an owner or manager. Mardi has shared a couple ways she implements employee appreciation with us here:
February “Show the Love” Staff Appreciation week –
Start the week before Valentine’s Day [that’s next week!]. Cut 3 or 4 different sized hearts out of colored construction paper. We usually make them 3 or 4 inches tall. Place the hearts in a basket in the lobby and invite all parents and students to write comments to their teachers.
Hearts are then taped to the viewing windows, lobby, entry doors, etc. Soon your building will be covered with hearts! Teachers will be excited to see where their names are and see the nice things other folks are saying about them.
Continue the “Show the Love” idea on social media. Post a photo with your coach or tell us what you love about your coach for a chance to win a Valentine’s prize package or 2 doz heart shaped sugar cookies – whatever is desirable in your area! The hearts are collected and given to the staff the next week.
The teachers really appreciate reading all of the kind messages. This also focuses the parents attention on the positive things about your staff.
Spring – Thanks for helping our students bloom
We give out blooming baskets of flowers and make cards that say “Thank you for helping our athletes bloom” on them. This is an easy and creative idea to share with the teachers. Flowers can be inexpensive – from $2.50 for a primrose wrapped in cellophane or a large hanging basket for a few more dollars, it is well worth the investment.
Year-Round – High 5s
Cut out paper hands and hang them from your staff office ceiling. Write each teachers name on one side and one thing that they have done recently that you appreciate. Hang a stapled a $5 bill down from the bottom of the hand. This is a great visual if you have a lot of staff- they can see how much just a little bit would add up for the business. Plus fun to read what everyone has done!
What other ideas do you have for showing your staff how much you appreciate them? Share with us in the comments!
