Two weeks ago, I dropped my oldest daughter Olivia off for three weeks of sleep away camp. I’m sure this will be a wonderful experience for her, but the week leading up to camp, I started having anxiety about her potential experience. Some of the kids are there all summer and had four weeks to forge friendships before the new kids came to camp for only the last three weeks. Thoughts raced through my head.
Will she be welcomed?
Will the kids be kind and accepting?
Will she make a good friend?
Throughout the past week and a half, I impatiently wait for the notification each day that new photos have been posted. I scour the photos looking for Olivia and any signs that she is having fun. There have been a few where she has been smiling and one where she was laughing (!), but there have also been a couple where I can see her in the background standing alone. No friend next to her. No one smiling with her or chatting in her ear. My worry kicks in, and I start having thoughts about her being lonely or feeling out of place. My husband tries to talk me off the ledge by telling me I am drawing conclusions that are most likely not accurate since I don’t know the context of the photos. But as a mom, I want to ease her fears, give her a hug, and tell her she belongs. Perhaps my fear comes from reflecting on moments as a child when I felt out of place, or new, or different, and the nervousness and anxiety of wanting to fit in.
Humans have a need to belong. We have a need to feel accepted for who we are. Whether it’s with a group of friends, in a new neighborhood, or at work, we want to feel a sense of belonging and feel accepted and acknowledged.
Have you ever walked into a networking event and felt anxious because you didn’t know anyone? Or started a new job and felt nervous because you didn’t know what to expect?
As leaders, we have tremendous influence on how our employees feel at work every day. We have the power to positively impact our employees’ everyday experience in their work environment. Do you take the time to show appreciation and acknowledgement for great work? Do your employees feel valued by leadership and feel a connection to their team and the overall credit union?
Unfortunately, studies show that most employees are not receiving the recognition they need. According to Gallup, only one out of three employees has recently received meaningful recognition for their work.
When you hire new employees, do you take the time to be intentional in designing their first week experience? How about their first month? Regular and proactive connections are important beyond the first few weeks to ensure your new employee feels welcomed and a sense of belonging.
I had a participant in one of my leadership programs who shared the story of showing up on his first day with a new company only to be told his manager was on vacation and they weren’t expecting him. He waited an hour in the lobby while they figured out what to do with him. A perfect example of what not to do!
Here are just a few examples of how you can show your new and tenured employees you appreciate and acknowledge them:
- Send a hand-written thank you note
- Send flowers, an edible arrangement, or a welcome basket to a new employee the week before they start work
- Acknowledge birthdays, company anniversaries, new babies, and wedding anniversaries
- Show interest in how an employee spent their vacation
- Ask about their children’s milestones and accomplishments (did their child win the soccer tournament?)
- Order business cards and have them ready on the employee’s first day
- Have a specific plan for an employee’s first week of work, including lunches and meeting team members
- If your new employee is virtual, meet for lunch over Zoom and schedule virtual coffee breaks to connect
- Take time to get to know your new employee by asking them about life outside of work
- Ask other leaders to send cards or emails to welcome a new employee
- When an employee welcomes a new baby, order meals for the family the first few nights they are home
These are just some examples of how you can foster belonging and appreciation in the workplace.
What have you done in your credit union to intentionally welcome a new employee or show appreciation to your staff?
I’d love for you to share your ideas with our credit union community in the comments!
I really love and enjoy this reading. Reading this I learned that when you speak out clearly you thoughts and ideas people see you as winner, because you are not afraid to go straight to the point.
Great article.....And happy belated birthday! Welcome to my world, young lady!
Whenever I have a work project that I keep putting off - I think about delegating that project to someone else - which accomplishes 2 things- it gets the project done and frees us my brain space thinking about it.
Good morning. I loved this read. Thank you so much for sharing. Sincerely, Melissa :)
Thank you for this blog Laurie. I liked most part and specially "As organizations have become more complex, there is a tendency to require employees to do more with less. This is a slippery slope, and often can result in employees feeling overwhelmed and burnt out. One of the biggest contributors to this is not evaluating resources during the strategic planning process." I will use this practice "A best practice is to do what I call Priority Planning—putting important practices on your calendar ahead of time so they become a priority in your day. Examples of activities to Priority Plan include scheduling recurring coaching sessions with each team member, time for strategic thinking and planning, vacations, doctor appointments, important children’s events, and blocks of time for focused work on projects." To be more effective, I will get a good rest so I can have enough energy in the morning. I will read the blog again along with the other links on employee evaluation. Thank you so much Laurie. Best wishes to you and your family.
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I love the feedback on the more than 50 hours of work. AND filling time. So true. Unfortunately, showing that you work longer hours is still seen as being a "hard worker" - not sure how to change that though.
I enjoyed the read. I concur that transitioning from technical skills to delegating results was a task within itself. I did not realize I was almost trying to do the same thing from my previous position, and it was not working. However, I am seeing the results of how delegating daily tasks makes my job and workload easier. Thank you, Laurie.
Thank you for sharing information about your trip Laurie! All 3 things resonate with me - probably #1 being the biggest. I know when I'm gone for a week, I'm still thinking about work and need a vacation when I get back because I did not relax enough. I think your idea of a longer vacation is definitely in my future!!
Hey Laurie, My take on your list - 1 - everyone has a story - listen 2- social media causes interpersonal problems 5- generational differences create hurdles / earn it you aren't entitled / we should help them get there not give it to them 6 AMEN some leaders I would have followed thru Hell, some I wish - well, you know 7- true BUT be as good as your word and 14- Hopefully we leave some good from our efforts, I know the good leaders I have had have. Seen a lot in my career but it really comes down to treat others the way you want to be treated, fair, honest, and straight forward. Good read. Take care
I love this so much and thank you so much for sharing! I really just love realizing that enjoying the simple things sometimes is the best! Also recognizing that what is important and fun to you may not be everyone else's fun on the on the trip. “Do we get to keep these toiletries?” was my favorite!!!! :):) Glad you had a great time and got to spend it with your family!
I very much resonate with lesson no 3! Thank you Laurie
I think the part that you might have missed in their top 5 things, some of which were not "Italian" or even different from home, all of them happened with you, both of you. And i think that is what they will remember too. And you've got tons of photos that will remind them of what the Sistine Chapel looked like - then they might remember what it sounded like or smelled like. Oh- and i agree with you 100% about sleep!
LOTS of great take-aways from this post! Thank you for posting! I especially love "slow down to speed up". That's a keeper!
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the not getting enough rest to be at my best. definitely need to get more quality sleep and make that a priority
It really is hard to narrow down the 3 lessons into one because they are all so interconnected. You need to give your mind and body THE TIME to relax SO THAT you can enjoy the SIMPLE THINGS, including REST. I enjoyed that lesson as a whole. I will take that lesson with me on my next vacation (or staycation). As always, thank you Laurie for your candor and for sharing your own lessons with others so that we too can benefit.
Great information and reminders
Laurie, Thank you for sharing your trip and these nuggets. The lessons that resonate most with me are it does take time to relax and getting proper rest. When you devote 15 plus hours of your day for work, taking care of home and others; the 6-7 hours you lay down does not cut it! For me during this time I'm trying to unwind and find myself thinking fighting not to think about what I have to do tomorrow. Even after I create a to do list for the next day...I find things I need to add. Taking a day off here and there doesn't cut it as well because of all the plans you have for that day. I try to make sure my Mental Health Days remains just that.... time for me to laugh, cry, scream.... whatever I need to release the cares and stress!
Really enjoyed the article... and all very true!
Since I was already well aware of #1 (I'm in the same boat with taking a long time to relax), I think I'm resonating most with #3. I'm learning to prioritize sleep / rest and it's been wonderful. Love that you said "I love sleep.". :)
Welcome back from vacation. Well deserve! Action is the key to success. Shoulder to shoulder, coaching and delegating task to help other employees grow are very important. It is a sacrifice that one must do. Forget about yourself and be with your team day in and out to help them grow, is not always easy. On the long run, your team is stronger, and you can depend on them for the success of the organization. Thank you so much!
So many great tips here, thank you!
I am so impressed you're able to disconnect and these are great tips I'll be sure to try on my next trip!
Such a great post - so inspiring!