Adrian Gostick

December is a time of giving. And as a manager, there is no substitute for a sincere thank-you to your employees to help them feel valued and appreciated for their great work. And the holidays are the perfect time, since, frankly, employees are expecting some form of recognition.

Here are a couple of ideas to help your holiday celebrations lead to more productivity in the New Year:

Make the company’s gift your own. Here’s a way to be generous—without spending a dime. You can get more mileage from the company’s holiday gift—whether a fruit basket, turkey, or merchandise item—by personally picking them up and delivering them to your people. As you make the rounds with the gifts, spend a little time with each person and express sincere gratitude for specific contributions. We guarantee the time invested will be well spent.

Don’t forget the card. As important as your gift is to employees this holiday season will be the card that accompanies it. There is no substitute for a sincere thank-you from the boss. Be sure all your communication surrounding your holiday gift is positive and thankful. The ultimate goal of the gift is to make sure employees feel valued and appreciated. After all, they are the ones keeping the doors open every day through this recession.

Measure success. Since you’ve been recognizing throughout the year, it’s helpful to take a moment in December and measure the results of your efforts. Give a quick, verbal survey to your employees and ask what they like and don’t like about their work environment—especially recognition and rewards. The economy is going to heat up and it will become hip to job hop again, so make a plan now to continually improve by creating a workplace where people come and stay committed.

Happy Holidays from the Carrot Culture Group!

Click here to download our holiday card in PDF format!

When at work you are expected to remain somber and humorless, especially in this economy. Right? And yet research shows humor adds a sense of positivity and optimism in a negative environment. When you laugh or smile, it indicates you are happy and engaged in what you are doing.

A year ago Scott Christopher and I wrote the book The Levity Effect: Why it Pays to Lighten Up. In it we featured a host of research showing how fun at work increases the bottom line. An article from World at Work recently reinforced the point. The authors write:

Humor can help in employee retention. When stress levels are booming and the ability to solve a problem seems to diminish, humor acts an effective tool. It aids oneself to recline and start afresh. Working under stress can blemish the outcome hence it is required that you first pacify, attain stability and then try to achieve. Humor is the ingredient that can result into a successful recipe.

Humor also alleviates the degree of bonding between the employees and their organization. You feel connected to the workplace because humor provides with a sense of comfort. It highlights your creative intelligence and the ability to make others happy in an environment where it is utmost important.

Humor translates positive emotions. How can a positive emotion not add to ascendancy? It either shows that you are ecstatic or on the pathway to attain contentment.