Common Courtesy

Dave,

I own a small business in a small town, and I try to treat my staff very well. How can I keep them from taking things for granted or not appreciating them at all?

Ryan

Ryan,

I try hard to make my company a great place to work. We do things that lots of other organizations don’t, so expecting a little appreciation isn’t out of line.

When a big event is coming up, we try to make a big, fun deal out of it, and get everyone excited and involved. You never want things like that to become routine or ho-hum. We don’t have that problem here, but it ever gets to the point where special things are taken for granted, then we’ll probably back off from doing them for a while, and put the money somewhere else.

In my mind, ungratefulness is one of the worst character traits. If you think this attitude is creeping into your team, just talk to them straight up. There’s no reason to call anyone out personally, but make your feelings clear.

It’s your job as a leader to give your people a great work environment, and show them they’re valued and appreciated. If you’re a member of someone’s team, and you like what your leaders do for you, then you should act like it. It’s just common courtesy.

Dave