So today is #employeeappreciationday and it got me thinking. How often as an employee do you feel (or did you feel) properly appreciated? I’m glad they have a day for it, but I’m sad that they NEED to have a day for it.
As a business owner, you should know that your team (be they employed, self-employed, contractors or partners) should feel appreciated every single day. Because if they don’t, they won’t stick around.
(Click here to join our WHYs awards day – for free – because we appreciate YOU).
The Ultimate Lack of Appreciation
Now some businesses have staff turnover as their strategy. I know – bonkers isn’t it? These tend to be high-pressure sales environments where people go in fear of their jobs on a daily basis. Silicon Valley is/was known for it, but there are plenty of examples in this country and around the world. I won’t name and shame…for now.
This can lead to high performance for some, but it tends to be short-lived. Human beings are just not designed to deal with high-stress situations as a permanent state. We are great at ‘rising to the challenge’ – that’s the old adrenaline and Fight Flight or Freeze syndrome.
But when faced with high stress for long periods of time, performance inevitably dwindles and more importantly, this kind of situation creates dis-ease. That can manifest as an unmotivated workforce, with lots of political manoeuvring. It can show up as a high staff turnover or as physical illness.
In short, it leads to unhappiness and burnout. And so, I find it difficult to see the benefits to any organisation of having this high-pressure environment and managing by fear as part of their strategy. But they do.
And it’s not just companies that should be appreciating the people in their ‘tribe’.
Appreciation is Important in Everything
There are many formal and informal networks, where people work hard and maybe don’t always get the appreciation they deserve. Perhaps at a networking event, you are one of the people who go out of their way to introduce people to others in your network, but it doesn’t seem to be reciprocated.
Maybe you volunteer with another company, or organisation you feel passionately about. Perhaps you go the extra mile for clients. Possibly you are the one in your family that is always called upon in an emergency.
There are many groups, where appreciation is often a little bit lacking. And not because the people in those groups are not appreciative, but because they don’t always express it. Everyone is so busy, and it’s really easy to forget to say thank you or ask how someone is. But it is so important to do it.
That’s why this year – we have combined the International Women’s Day theme of #Choose ToChallenge with our WHY’s awards. This is a day where we focus on appreciating the women in our community who have gone out of their way for others. It is a day where we challenge the status quo, where we recognise things that are not always recognised.
Check out our categories for the awards.
INPUT – within the community
IMPACT – on the world
INSPIRING – to other WHYs women
INDIVIDUAL GROWTH – over the past year
INTERACTION – with other WHYs Women in the Community
IDOLISED! – MEMBERS’ CHOICE
And that’s also why we hope you will join us – for free – for our Virtual Party and Awards ceremony on Sunday the 7th March. Book your tickets here!  It’s going to be the virtual party of the year!