What I do to show my team I appreciate them

Micheala Blanche, our Risk & Governance Manager, shares with us a few ways she shows her team she appreciates them.

Managers rely on their staff to conduct their duties in order to achieve the overall objectives of the department. The purpose of the quality directorate is to Assess, Improve, Monitor and Support in order to facilitate the achievement of great quality commercial success.

As a manager within the quality directorate I am very aware how vital it is to show employees how much they are valued and provide them with reward and recognition in order to promote retention.

Some of the ways that I show my team that I appreciate them:

Making myself available to them as much as possible – the team are very aware that they can come to me with their questions or concerns.
Communicating with them as much as possible – letting them know what is happening within the organisation. When the team ‘buys-in’ to the goals, objectives and vision that the company has they contribute more to the overall effectiveness of the department.
Encouraging them to become better, to improve their skills / knowledge in order – this is achieved through support, coaching and delegation.
Giving praise when someone has done a job well – I record jobs done well in a book which I then use when it comes to supervisions or appraisals. This makes the supervisions/appraisals much more meaningful and saves time racking my brains as to what they have done well. This also motivates them to achieve and encourages them to take a lot more personal pride in their work.
Saying thank you – it is important to thank people for their hard work and contributions. Also, not forgetting to say please. Good manners are very important to me.
Getting to know important interests within the team – asking questions and acknowledging significant family events or hobbies or what they did over a weekend shows that you take an interest in them.
Celebrating special days – as a team we always celebrate birthdays with a card and a gift which is personalised to each member of the team.
Treat staff members – team members and managers within the quality team regularly bring in doughnuts, biscuits or another treats for the team and home baked goodies always go down well.
Providing opportunity – people genuinely appreciate the chances for training, attending seminars and conferences. This encourages team members to support your goals as a manager and take their roles and responsibilities seriously.