i've often been thinking about how you can make people feel valued without costing an organisation a lot of money. here are some ideas:
1. say hello and goodbye
every morning, every shift, every day. be intentional about acknowledging your peers. what this does is communicates that you see them; they're important.
2. uniforms
make sure they look like everyone else. the first thing i do with any new players at our club is organise for them to get a training shirt. it's a small gesture, but it makes people feel like they belong, like they're a part of the team.
3. appreciation
be intentional about showing your appreciation, no matter how small their efforts might seem. if it's been a really difficult shift, thank them for their efforts. if they've been struggling, thank them for still showing up. you have to reinforce the good - if you don't, people will stop trying.
4. listen
listen to their ideas. listen to their suggestions. and better yet, implement some of them. one person doesn't have all of the answers. tapping into your team's knowledge and perspectives is a superpower, use it.
5. acknowledge
take steps to actively acknowledge someone's value. offer them a pay rise before they ask. treat them fairly. stick to your word. be integral and proactive.
6. support
actively support your people with their other interests - watch one of their games, buy one of their paintings, share their work. write a post on social media introducing them.
7. food
offer them food. or at the very least, offer them breaks. your staff are human. humans have needs. if they're hungry or tired, i can guarantee they won't be operating optimally.
this is by no means an exhaustive list, but it's a list i've created based on the times in which i've felt both valued, and undervalued. what others ways have you felt valued?