Five panda pointers: How to show appreciation to your team

Constructive feedback is a great thing; it gives employees the chance to work on what they need to while knowing what they are doing right. Praising your team, as a manager or otherwise, is so important for office morale.

It can be hard to maintain this; you might struggle to keep track of what everyone is doing or you might grow accustomed to how certain people work. Here are five panda pointers to remember for showing appreciation to your colleagues the right way…

1) The power of thank you

A simple term that says more than you might think, so don’t take it for granted. Whether you are thanking a team member for their contribution or going a bit further with a big compliment, it really does make a difference to that person’s day.  

2) Maintaining your appreciation

So imagine somebody in your team does an amazing job, going above and beyond to deliver some fantastic results. Now imagine they repeat this performance time after time. Does expressing huge appreciation for what they did the first few times mean they know their worth?

Maybe so, but it doesn’t mean you can become complacent. Every achievement should be noted as feeling valued and respected is integral for morale, consistent performance and being a supportive manager. Similarly, celebrate your colleague’s successes so that the teamfeels united and supported at all times.

3) Understanding individual value

Knowing your team’s strengths and areas to improve is a big part of managing a team. Caring about them is even better. You might not know something a team member is thinking in regards to their own work; maybe they are struggling with an aspect of their duties and aren’t comfortable enough to bring it up or they feel something great went unrecognised.

Speak to everyone individually and ask them two simple questions: what are they proud of and what do they want to make better? Being allowed to explain this in an honest environment will increase feelings of being valued and encourage an employee to be honest with themselves and you!

4) Treats galore

The smallest of gestures can speak volumes. From an early finish some Fridays, to a cake that celebrates a good week, employees will love small things like this. It doesn’t have to be a grand incentive to convey your appreciation. Getting the team together also allows them all to appreciate their value as a team and give each other a collective pat on the back.

5) Allowing the team to show appreciation

There might be some things of significance to members of your team that you might not get the chance to notice. Perhaps the individual feels that a colleague went out of their way to help them with something or they really admired something they did in their day to day routine. There are many ways to do this; a compliment box that can be read every week or apps that allow employees to send kudos to their team mates directly. It’s great to introduce morale boosters such as this to really reinforce a close knit culture.

We hope you can take some tips from our panda pointers...appreciating your team really does benefit everyone!