2. Help employees to feel valued.
Be encouraging to your employees and offer praise when appropriate. Thank employees for doing a good job and let them know that you value them. Should something go wrong or someone makes a mistake, don’t “punish” the person. Rather, talk to the person, teach the correct procedures, and offer encouragement and further teaching when needed. Remember that punishing people only makes things worse in that the employee may become angry and bitter and may want to sabotage their work to get back at the company. If errors continue after correction, then you may need to evaluate that person to make sure he or she is a good fit for the job.
As an employer, you have an excellent opportunity to make a difference in your employees’ lives. This may mean a smile, asking how their family is, or asking about their interests or problems. If you sense that someone is depressed, help that person get the necessary resources, as employees with depression have higher absenteeism, increased health problems, and decreased performance. Remember that we are all humans working together to get through life. We need to care about each other to get the best results.