One of the main complaints from employees is that they don’t feel appreciated by their boss or team members. After all, you may work overtime to meet crazy deadlines, work weekends to complete new projects ahead of schedule or even run errands for your boss that aren’t part of your job description. Don’t you deserve a little appreciation? Here are a few tips on how to earn appreciation in the workplace.
Treat Others the Way You Want to Be Treated
Before you start expecting people to appreciate your hard work, maybe you should consider how appreciative you are of your coworkers. Do you thank them for the hard work they did to help you meet a deadline? Do you take their work on a project for granted? If so, why would they be appreciative of your work? Remember the golden rule: Treat others the way you want to be treated.
Notice How Other Employees Are Treated
Are you the only one who feels unappreciated? There’s a good chance that your employer may not show appreciation to any of the employees. Before you start complaining, think about whether or not Jim was congratulated and thanked for his involvement in last month’s record breaking sales or if Jill got recognition for earning 100 new clients. It may not just be you.
Ask for Feedback
Sometimes employers need a bit of prodding to remember that they need to provide feedback to their employees. You could meet with your employer to talk about your recent success and ask for feedback. If he compliments you on a job well done that’s great. If he simply talks about the success and forgets you were part of it, you may need to work harder to get noticed or give him a little help spotting your successes.
Help Others Take Notice
A subtle remark about a recent success may also be enough to get the appreciation you deserve. You could say something like, “Wow, I’m a bit worn out from last month’s project, but it was well worth it.” Chances are you’ll get the compliments and appreciation you’re looking for.
Be Thankful of Compliments
Stop blowing off compliments. When you act ungrateful for people’s appreciation, why would they continue to show it? When someone tells you, you did a great job, say, “Thank you so much for noticing. It feels great to know my job makes a difference.”
In today’s overcrowded offices and businesses, it’s hard to employers to give employees the appreciation they deserve. However, that doesn’t mean you don’t deserve it or that your employer doesn’t appreciate you.
About the Author: Coleman Tappeiner is a human resource consultant who enjoys working with employees to have the best workplace experience possible. When he’s not working he can often be found sipping the oolong tea blends he finds at www.goldenmoontea.com and surfing his favorite food and cooking websites.