Everyone wants to know they are appreciated at work. A simple thank you from a customer, colleague or your boss can really boost your day!

As a manager, a critical part of your job is to guide, coach and inspire your team. Most managers will easily acknowledge a job well done. Everyone wants to be part of a positive outcome. But what about the situations that don’t work out? If an employee is working extra hard to make a sale, solve a problem, or give above and beyond service, acknowledging their effort, even when things go wrong, can make a real difference to their motivation.

Feeling appreciated, needed and valued at work contributes to employee satisfaction and engagement. People work harder when they know they will be recognized for their efforts and accomplishments.

Words of encouragement are free, so use them often. Below are a few tips on how to show appreciation at work:

• Be sincere in your praise
• Look the person in the eyes
• Use their name
• Don’t wait for year end, offer appreciation through-out the year as events happen
• For special situations, offer appreciation in a group setting such as a meeting
• Consider using a hand-written note
• Don’t forget to notice the small efforts – like the person who comes in early to shovel and salt the walkway, cleans out the fridge or offers to wash the coffee mugs
• Be on the look out for ways to offer appreciation at work

It’s too Hot… It’s too Cold… Is there a Thermostat War going on in your office? 

Office temperature complaints are frequently the number one employee criticism about the workplace! Year after year employee surveys come back with a similar result – employees are not happy about the temperature in the office.

Office temperature should matter to employers as well, as it impacts worker productivity. If the office is too warm, everyone is sluggish and sleepy. If the office is too cold, people’s alertness soon turns to discomfort.

Adjusting the temperature to the ideal setting can be difficult. First, everyone’s ideal temperature varies a little and it varies enough to create the situation where some people will be comfortable while others will be uncomfortable. Second, office buildings have not been designed to easily regulate temperature. Older buildings heat up and cool down too slowly. Often taking several days to adjust to swings in the outdoor temperature. Newer buildings are not much better at temperature regulation – blasting freezing cold air by the vents and heating up like a sauna near windows. Third, we live in Canada where we experience a lot of different weather throughout the year – 4 seasons and several days each summer and winter of extreme temperatures.

Is there a solution to the Thermostat Wars?

No, there is not a perfect solution, but there are things employers and employees can do to manage office temperature and reduce office temperature complaints.

• Agree to set the Thermostat to the ideal comfort zone between 21 and 23 degrees Celsius.
• Accept some discomfort – especially during extreme temperatures. Most of us do not break the bank heating and cooling our houses to the perfect temperature every day of the year. We live with a little discomfort. Your expectation at the office should be the same.
• Dress appropriately for the weather both outside and inside the office.
• Layer, layer, layer. Dress in layers so you can adjust as needed.
• Keep a shall, scarf, blanket, sweater, vest or jacket at work to pull on and off as needed.
• Some fabrics are better at helping you maintain an even temperature – natural fibers such as cotton, linen, and wool.
• Use a heater or fan to supplement the building heating and air-conditioning.
• When it is cold, get up from your chair and move around more frequently.
• When it is hot, take a break outside for 5 to 10 minutes – when you come back inside it will feel cooler.
• Warm drinks can help regulate the body temperature. Warm drinks work well in both cold and hot weather.
• Drink plenty of water. Ice water is great in hot weather. Slightly chilled or room temperature water is good in cold weather.

Regardless of whether you are new to the leadership role or have been leading people for decades, there is always an opportunity to improve your management skills.

One of the most important leadership skills you will need is the ability to bring out the best effort in each of your employees. You will use different management strategies for each person you lead. Discovering what each employee needs from you will be one of your greatest challenges.

Failing to communicate clearly with employees is one of the top complaints employees have about their boss. If you are looking to improve your management skills focus on making meaningful connections with your employees.

Some tips about managing people you probably already know, but are worth repeating:

• Don’t micromanage
• Make time for your employees and schedule regular meetings
• Be a good listener
• Provide immediate and constructive feedback
• Publicly recognize employee achievements
• Communicate clear expectations
• Ask employees how you can best support them
• Follow through on your promises
• Be open to new and opposing ideas
• Don’t take credit for other people’s ideas
• Provide both informal and formal learning, development and training opportunities for all staff
• Lead by example
• Provide inspiration
• Get to know your employees and ask about their lives outside of work. 
• If you manage a large workforce it may be impossible to get to know all your staff, but you should make your best effort to learn employees’ names. The simple gesture of addressing someone by their name can be instrumental in building relationships with your employees.

Looking for more ideas on leadership and management? Check out these Best Management Books at smallbiztrends and learn to be a better manager in 2017. 

Products and services must be sold and delivered, and money must be made – but successful leaders make their organizations fun places to work while also achieving these goals.

Let’s be totally honest, being a people leader is not easy. Being a good manager requires many skills.  Leaders need effective skills in areas such as communication, coaching, motivating and listening. These skills generally get better over time . Simply put, to be an effective leader it takes a certain type of person who exhibits and holds particular traits and is also respected and well liked amongst the organization.

But everyone needs to start somewhere, so we’ve compiled a list of actionable leadership tips.  These effective leadership tips will help you groom potential managers in your organization to become great leaders. Some are relatively basic, but serve as important reminders. While others, you may not have considered before.

5 Effective Leadership Tips

Understand the business

A good, effective leader knows the business inside out. They need to be prepared to answer questions from their direct reports that take into consideration the broader goals of the company. From strategy to culture, a good leader needs to know what is happening across the business. Leaders are expected to make informed decisions while confidently providing direction.

To do this they should be spending time with senior leaders and asking them questions on strategy, future business goals and why particular choices have been made. A leader also needs to leverage the talents of their team to support company goals. The more a leader knows, the more they can help their team.

Set goals

No matter what level you’re at – beginner or senior manager – every employee should have goals to strive for and achieve. Goals help to give an employee and future manager a road map that provides direction and purpose in their career. They also help to make sure that employees are working towards the overall organizational goals. Setting specific and measurable goals will help future leaders work towards gaining the tools they need to become an exceptional leader.

Make time for employees

Without a doubt, leadership is a people job. So when an employee needs to talk to their manager, always make sure to set aside the time to make it happen. A good leader will put their work aside to focus on the employee and their needs.

Recognize achievements

Every employee wants to do a good job; and when they do a good job, to receive some type of recognition from their bosses. Unfortunately, few bosses do much in the way of recognizing and rewarding employees for a job well done. But there are many things a good leader can do to celebrate their staff. For major accomplishments, a public acknowledgement at a team meeting or in the company newsletter is one way to recognize staff. Other options include taking staff out to lunch, or by simply saying thank you.

Don’t take It all too seriously

The last and most important tip is to not take it all too seriously. A leader can get so caught up in the weeds and everyday tasks that they forget to actually be a leader. Products and services must be sold and delivered, and money must be made – but successful leaders make their organizations fun places to work while also achieving these goals. Instead of having employees who look for every possible reason to call in sick or to arrive to work late or go home early, organizations that work hard and play hard end up with a more loyal, energized workforce.

November 2, 2016 is Take Your Kid to Work Day in Canada. Get involved and help inspire students!

Take Your Kid to Work Day is the first Wednesday in November. Each year over 250,000 grade 9 students from across Canada have the opportunity to experience a day in the working world. Students spend the day with their parent, relative, family friend or a community host employer. The event is designed to give students some practical information about the world of work. The day is also intended to get students thinking about career options and encourage staying in school.

Organizations participating in Take Your Kid to Work 2016 have the opportunity to help inspire students and influence the future workforce.

Parents, educators and the business community need to work together to support thoughtful decision making about career choices. Youth need information and guidance to help them choose careers that will interest them, in addition to lead to meaningful work.

The unemployment rate in Canada remains around 7%, compared to 13% youth unemployment rate. We frequently hear news about the struggles of post secondary graduates trying to find work in their field of study. We also hear news about the shortages of people in the skilled trades and science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. Encouraging more students to pursue careers in high demand fields is necessary for our future economic success. 

The Human Resources Professional Association (HRPA), Canada’s human resource thought leader, has identified youth unemployment as a pressing issue in 2016. The HRPA released a study this month with 21 recommendations to help strengthen Ontario’s workforce. The HRPA is calling for greater collaboration between government, educators and industry. Experts in business and education agree that students need better access to labour market data to help them make informed career decisions.

Learn more about Take Your Kid to Work 2016. Read the HRPA report – Strengthening Ontario’s Workforce for the Jobs of Tomorrow.