“Thank You.”
It is a very simple phrase that is under-rated and often forgotten. How does an employer motivate employees to keep up the good work and continue to use their best qualities that benefit the court system? Perhaps a private employer has more incentive options available because they are not limited by controlled budgets and shared control over employment benefits. However, that doesn’t mean that there are no incentives open for you to use.
One of the most effective ways to let an employee know that you value his or her work is both inexpensive and easy to do. It is simply to write a personal “thank you” note. It costs almost nothing, takes very little time, and yet it raises an employee’s self esteem, gives a feeling of being part of the court’s mission, and motivates continued good work. If you copy the note for the employee’s personnel file, it also provides a quick way to document performance. A “thank you” note should be brief, to the point, and indicate the admired extra effort. It is important to write and present the note as soon as you can after the exemplary performance. If you relegate it to a later day, you will probably never get it done.
Hand-written notes can be the most meaningful. Keep a pack of stationary note cards in your desk in order to take quick action when you notice good performance. The note can be something as simple as “Thank you for your cheerful greeting to our visitors. I appreciate the way you tactfully handled their questions.”
Many employees treasure and keep written tokens of appreciation, which is just one indication of their impact. And even if it just brings a smile to brighten their day, well that’s not so bad either. If your employees feel that you care about them, it is more likely that they will be motivated to work hard, and less likely that you will have to deal with poor performance. May you find many occasions to write “thank you” notes in 2008!