If you supervise people they want to know that you care about them. They want to know you notice their hard work. They want to know you understand their daily on-the-job experience. Even the most loyal employees can become ambivalent about their job if they sense their direct supervisor doesn’t care. I have seen first hand what happens when great employees feel neglected and ignored. Over time they start to look for another work environment where they’ll be appreciated. One way to help your team feel cared for is by consistently and frequently communicating how much they mean to you. There are many facets to a great work culture and a supervisor who actively demonstrates they care about their team is one of them. Here is a short list of simple daily actions I’ve learned can communicate to your team that you appreciate them:

*Brag about your staff publicly and often.
*Exclaim to others everything your team does right.
*Talk to others about every-time your team goes above their call of duty,
*Tell each staff member how much you appreciate them.
*State specifically what the team members are doing that is making a positive difference.
*Make sure they know you notice their good work and extra effort.
*Smile, look them in the eye and say “hi” every time you cross paths.
*Call then by name and remember the names of their family members.
*Leave no doubt that they matter to you.

You may not feel like doing these things every day, but do them anyway. It will make your team members feel important to you and will help create a culture of appreciation.