The first is to give them a "pat on the back" or public kudos. Lots of people think this won't have much effect, but it actually releases endorphins and dopamine in the brain, making people feel good about themselves and more focused on their work. It also sends a message that you care about what they're doing.
Next, say thank you for a job well done. This might sound like an obvious thing - but many managers never bother with it because they assume everyone's been thanked already or they don't want praise (which just isn't true). But studies show that one of the main reasons people quit their jobs is too little appreciation from managers; so a little gratitude goes a long way.
The third thing is to give people more challenging assignments, even if you think they may not do them well, because it will build their self-confidence and make them perform better in the future. For example, when someone asks you for help with something that's easy for you, tell them you can't help them, but you can train them or help them to do it themselves. It might sound counterintuitive, but if they see that they're able to do the task on their own, their performance will improve drastically in the future when you've got harder projects for them to tackle.
What are different ways you use to recognize your team members? Tell me all about it at @jefftakin.
This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links but it won't cost you any more.
