You’ve probably heard the old cheerleader routine that starts out, “2, 4, 6, 8, who do we appreciate?” I’ve never quite understood this. First, what’s with the even numbers? But alas, I digress.
When we talk about appreciation at Assurance, it’s really a far-reaching concept. We appreciate our clients, our business partners, our community, as well as our fellow co-workers. If you’re familiar with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, you know that esteem is right near the top of that triangle, and being appreciated certainly lends itself towards fulfilling this most basic of needs.
The best part is that appreciation costs very little. It remains a tremendous business tool that harkens back to the expression, “It costs nothing to be nice.” Well, the same can be said for taking the time to say thank you. Yes, there are times when we spend a little to make others feel special, but more often than not, our culture of appreciation is defined more by taking the time to let someone know they’re valued.
For example, we’re big on high-fives – in-person and electronic. To enable appreciation, a few years back we created a tool on the company intranet that allows Assurance employees to give each other an electronic high-five.
They take the time to explain why they’re appreciating the person, and then can choose to make their high-five private, or share their feelings with the company. It’s like giving someone a star or token of appreciation on a consistent basis.
By encouraging it amongst employees and allowing anyone to give anyone a high-five no matter the role is a cost efficient way to boost the company atmosphere in a quick, and convenient way.
The personal touch
Although the convenience of an electronic “thank you” is popular, sometimes a physical thank-you note just can’t be replaced. It was about five years ago when I realized that between e-mail, texting and all our electronic communication vehicles, it seemed like nobody was taking the time to handwrite personal notes anymore. This struck me as a lost opportunity to make someone feel special and appreciated.
So that year we created a goal that declared if 85 percent of our employees mail 10 or more handwritten cards to our clients and/or business partners throughout the year, everyone would receive a cash bonus. How’d that work out you ask? Our employees crushed it. Many employees who sent them were pleasantly surprised to get handwritten notes back thanking them for the thank you.
I challenge you all to take this opportunity to handwrite notes to your colleagues — be it top new business performers, or just someone who recently helped you out around the office. Thank them for the hard work and sacrifice that went into producing such an incredible performance throughout the year, or for just helping you finish that last-minute project.
I think you’ll be surprised by the contagious, positive response that comes from a good old fashioned note. Spreading appreciation leads to happy employees and ultimately happy clients.
Steven Handmaker is the chief marketing officer at Assurance, one of the largest, independent insurance brokerages in the U.S. Steven provides counsel on all strategic initiatives at Assurance and is responsible for the company’s marketing, communications, branding and digital media efforts.
