mind your business: Motivation Don't Cost a Thing

You need your employees to have an emotional ownership in the success of your enterprise, don't you? In these current, difficult economic times, throwing around money without a strategy is generally not your best bet. However, investing in your employees will always serve you well. With a little effort, employees can become your partners.

Below, you'll find several no-cost and low-cost employee recognitions that I've culled from my years of work in this area. Embrace a newly energized effort to show your employees through both word and deed that they matter to you and your organization. Give them a modicum of respect and appreciation, and you'll be amazed how they respond.

To start, how about a desk or workstation visit from the company president? That doesn't cost anything. And yet the value is priceless. Here are some other ideas:

• Birthday card mailed to employee's home.

• Afternoon birthday celebration with cake and coffee.

• Have a "highlighting employee" section in company newsletter.

• Paid time off.

• Recognition at an important meeting.

• Flowers from manager's home garden.

• New title.

• Balloons.

• Gift certificates to local restaurant or theater.

• Flex time.

• Special parking space.

• Choice of work assignments.

• Certificate of appreciation.

• Bake cookies for an employee.

• "Come in late/get off early" card.

• Specialty advertising items with company logo.

• Care package to spouse or children of employee.

• Boss washing an employee's car.

• "Get Out of Meeting" card.

• Free vending machine privileges for a week.

• Lottery tickets.

• Cater breakfast at employee's desk.

• "We'll do it Your Way Today" card.

• Software, special keyboard, new chair, etc.

• Guaranteed quiet/thinking time.

• Include employee in decision-making.

• Decorate office for holidays.

• Lunch or dinner at long meetings and training classes.

• Mentoring from anyone in the executive suite.

• Tank of gasoline for employee's car.

• Recognition at regular staff breakfasts.

The important factor to grasp is it is less about the material recognition and more about the bragging rights and emotional connection. Now please, go onward and spread the emotional wealth.

By Ed Rigsbee

Copyright 2010 Ed Rigsbee. As an internationally recognized speaker on partnering, Ed Rigsbee has been fumbling, bumbling and stumbling his way through the organizational mazes of for-profits and non-profits for more than four decades. For the last two decades, he has been an observer, researcher and teacher, helping organizations of all sizes to build successful internal and external collaborative relationships. Rigsbee travels internationally to deliver keynote presentations and workshops on profitable alliance relationships. In addition to serving as the president of Rigsbee Research Consulting Group, he also serves as the executive director of a (501 (c) 3) public nonprofit charity. Rigsbee has authored three books and more than 1,500 articles helping organizations to take full advantage of their potential. Contact Rigsbee, get additional (no charge) resources, and sign up for his complimentary weekly Effective Executive eLetter at www.Rigsbee.com. If you would like Rigsbee to keynote your next meeting, contact him at ed@rigsbee.com.