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Don't Take People for Granted

Head to your local book store or magazine rack, and there you'll find books and articles on the high cost of employee turn-over. I came out of the trucking industry where 100 percent turn-over was the norm. Sadly, many in the trucking industry as well as others believe that such turn-over rates are unchangeable. For example, the cost for a lost employee in the trucking industry was last estimated at $6,000; an extremely conservative estimate. No matter the cost of turn-over in your company, it is too high. The best news is that it is changeable. And there are some simple things that can be done to start that change rolling.

In studying the subject of turn-over, I have found many experts agree that one of the top reasons people leave their job is because they do not feel appreciated or valued. Studies show that 65 percent of workers interviewed last year said they received no appreciation – verbal or otherwise - for their good, hard work. What's behind this? Are all of these workers simply not performing and gave management no reason to provide praise? Or is management not taking the steps necessary to let the employee know of their value and worth?

To paraphrase Ken Blanchard, we should walk around and find people doing something right and praise them for it. In other words, water what you want to grow. Showing appreciation and praise is powerful, whether it is with a client, friend or family member.

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For those who don't leave for one reason or another, a feeling of under-appreciation might still exist, albeit silently. Ask yourself what kind of results you're achieving with workers who don't give their greatest effort to your company under these circumstances. Employee apathy is a cancer in an organization and will not only affect performance of those that have become that way but those around them. More times than not, negativity will drag down even the most enthusiastic person. Catch the cancer as soon as possible and eliminate apathy in the workplace. We all feel good when someone takes the time to tell us they appreciate what we have done or are doing for them.

I recently had the opportunity to spend time with an operator for a Chick-fil-A restaurant. I asked him how turn-over affected his business. He told me they have a waiting list of people who want to work at his restaurant. This is while many other restaurants in the area suffer from tremendous turnover rates. When I asked what the difference was, he told me that at Chick-fil-A, their people are number one. They don't just say, it they live it.

The need for appreciation varies in differing personalities, but it is still there. The need for affirmation is a natural law, as absolute as gravity. Don't wait until it's time for their annual or semi-annual review. As often as you can, stop, and tell people you appreciate them. Thank them for caring about the work they do on behalf of your company. Start looking for things, even if those things are considered to be part of someone's job, and thank them for performing it well. Let them know how their contribution will affect the outcome for the company as well as the customer.

Not taking your employees for granted can have a tremendous impact on your turn-over rates as well as your bottom line.

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