What is it that you have hired your people to do? Do you have an accurate job description that explains what they are supposed to do? Has it been updated when job duties changed or were modified from the original objectives? Your employees want to succeed. Do not set up your good employees for failure. They need to know very specifically what it is you would like them to do. Despite popular belief they cannot read your mind.

Here is another way you can help your people succeed. Show appreciation for them. It does not cost a dime to show your gratitude for the work they do. And if you think they should be grateful to have a job, you are a dinosaur. Good employees will always be able to find a job. They only need you for the moment. They will always look for an employer, supervisor or manager who shows appreciation for the work they do and yes often the great attitude they display while doing it.

Unappreciated or under appreciated employees will quit working for you as soon as they find a suitable replacement that pays the bills. If you are saying to yourself Everyone is Replaceable, think again. Every employee is replaceable, but there is significant cost associated with replacing good employees. When good employees quit they cost organizations billions of dollars in recruiting and training. Studies have indicated that it costs one and half times an employees salary to replace them. If you do not believe this, do your own Google Search and see what you find. In your small business you may believe this is not happening to you. If you do its because you have not calculated the cost.

Here is something else to think about. Yes, you can replace an employee physically, but attitudinally, behaviorally, and skillfully, there is a significant cost. Think for a moment how much time and effort has gone into an employees training, counseling, coaching, and mentoring and now ALL this is lost. This is because you share the philosophy that unfortunately most employers share; my people are all replaceable.

In conclusion, consider for a moment creating an appreciation system. The system does not necessarily have to be based around a monetary reward even though having this is also a good idea. Use this system on a regular basis to reward your people for the good work they do. This will energize them to do more and it will inspire others in your organization who witness it. Your organization will benefit from greater performance and productivity. So go learn to show appreciation for your folks and find time to make it happen. You will be delighted you did.

Article originally appeared in Ezine Articles