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Category: ENGAGEMENT & APPRECIATION

Employee productivity increases when employees feel valued and engaged in their work. Free of stress, happy, and appreciated, employees will work harder and yield greater output. While benefits, compensation, and job growth may be important long term, day-to-day happiness correlates more strongly to regular employee recognition. Communicate frequently with team members to show your respect and appreciation of their contributions.

The Tollbooth Lady – II

The Tollbooth Lady – II

Last month I shared my friend’s story about the old lady at the tollbooth.  You may recall that Craig Ruben, a former Ringling-trained clown, had challenged himself to make the sour tollbooth lady crack a smile. After weeks of persistence, he finally broke through and became a smile in her da... Read More
Customer service is an attitude…

Customer service is an attitude…

Last week I flew out to Chicago for a press check.  I hadn’t flown United in a while, so I didn’t have any special frequent flyer account or miles accumulated. I was just a regular Joe. As it turned out, I was done with my work earlier than anticipated. So, I logged in to the… Read More
The Tollbooth Lady – I

The Tollbooth Lady – I

Perhaps you’ve heard that early in my career, I performed as a Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus clown.  I stay in touch with the old crew for perspective and laughs.  I hope you’ll get both when you read this story shared by clown, Craig Ruben: The first time I saw the old... Read More
9 Ways to increase student engagement

9 Ways to increase student engagement

As I culled through this week’s Marshall Memo I was pleased to find a bunch of suggestions to increase student participation. I was even more pleased that “Dry-erase boards” made the list. I believe it was about 10 years ago that we were sitting in a Trainers Warehouse product meet... Read More
The Journey to Recognition

The Journey to Recognition

“Employees tell us one of the problems they have with rewards is they only receive them when the goal if finally accomplished.  Their complaint is generally that no one ever says anything along the way to getting the results. What a lost opportunity for acknowledging people for the many actio... Read More
Recognition increases performance 24%

Recognition increases performance 24%

As I’ve been working on copy for an upcoming catalog, I wanted to find out just how much recognition and reward affect workers’ performance.  Although the citations do not focus specifically on training and learning environments, a wealth of research strongly supports the effectiveness ... Read More
Colleague-to-Colleague Certificates

Colleague-to-Colleague Certificates

Celebrate! Celebrate! Celebrate! The little victories in your life after you accomplish a goal. Jump for joy, High-5 a teammate, reward & treat yourself, enjoy the moment. That keeps the momentum going. Sadly, most people simply ask, What’s next?” ~ Larry Lipman Peer-to-peer recognition ... Read More
A Vision of Student Life Today

A Vision of Student Life Today

I love this video by the students at Kansas State University. While it was produce many years ago, the increase in online learning makes it especially poignant. How does technology engage, enable, and distract us young people from life? What does student life even look like these days?... Read More
Speak with Conviction

Speak with Conviction

This humorous and motivational poem by Taylor Mali, makes us think about how we speak. Through the amazing typography and messaging, we’re reminded to speak with conviction and certainty. Let’s stop looking at our phones, texting partial sentences, and limiting our messages to twitter-fr... Read More
What are the best movies for a training event?

What are the best movies for a training event?

This question regarding the best movies for training was posted on both the ASTD National LinkedIN group and the Training & Development LinkedIN group. If you’re not a member of those groups, you many not be able to access the raw material, and if you are a group-member, you may still have fou... Read More

Employee Engagement and Motivation

Employee engagement and motivation are crucial aspects of any successful organization. They go hand in hand to foster a productive and positive work environment, leading to increased performance and employee satisfaction. Engaged employees are typically more enthusiastic, dedicated, and aligned with the company's goals. They are more likely to go the extra mile, be proactive, and actively contribute to the organization's growth. Engaged employees also tend to have better relationships with their colleagues and managers, leading to a more cohesive and collaborative workplace. Those receiving ample employee recognition also tend to exhibit higher levels of creativity and innovation, seeking opportunities for self-improvement and career advancement.

Beyond Tokens of Appreciation

In addition to maximizing employee recognition and motivation, successful work environments (a.k.a. WorkSMART organizations) help their teams excel by equipping them with critical tools and resources. These may not be the staples that you'll find in an office supply store, but their equally important, as they:
  • Promote the development of positive, trusting relationships.
  • Occupy fidget fingers and wandering attention.
  • Strengthen team communication and listening skills, time management, leadership, and project oversight.
The WorkSMART blog by Trainers Warehouse curates thousands of tools, tips, research, games, exercises, and activities to maximize organizational effectiveness. All of the ideas in the blog are complimentary.

If you're looking to purchase consultant-grade tools to implement the ideas found in this blog, shop online at TRAINERSwarehouse.com