Low-Cost Ideas
Many clinics have yet to resume their pre-COVID patient volumes—and thus, their pre-COVID revenue. The good news is that even if you’re on a tight budget, there are low cost ways to show your employees you appreciate their hard work:
Easy-to-Implement Ideas
If you feel overwhelmed thinking about the time it takes to plan and implement staff appreciation efforts, have no fear! Here are some ideas that don’t require a lot of time, but are sure to be a hit with your team:
Personalized Ideas
Nothing shows someone how much you care about them as much as a personalized gift. Check out these ideas that will make your employees feel extra special:
Extra-Mile Efforts
Looking to go the extra mile to show how much you appreciate your team’s hard work? Here are some ways to really wow the pants off of them (not literally, of course):
1. Have a daily huddle
When people are down, keeping it quiet only makes it worse. Have daily mini-meetings where you share the actions and progress you're taking to make things better. Do this through a daily standing huddle. It creates a natural shot of energy—and is better for you than doughnuts and coffee.
2. Switch up the schedule
When people are in a rut, you need to break the routine. Let them start late on Monday so they can clear up any personal stuff from the weekend and come in focused and ready to turn things around.
3. Remember the "why."
The tax collector's office is about as excited about collecting taxes as you are about paying them. But if these workers are reminded that the funds they collect are to protect citizens, beautify parks, improve education and more, that can really help improve morale.
4. Say thank you
This one’s easy. It takes two simple words. Say it, say it about something specific, and say it with meaning. Appreciation always increases morale.
5. Let them talk
The first thing customer service reps learn is that angry people need to vent before they're open to change. Meet with people individually or in small groups to share all the problems and challenges they're facing. This process is a major step in instantly recovering morale. The key here is to do it in small groups.
6. Take one for the team
Figure out what the one biggest stress point is that your employees are facing, then take the problem on yourself. Is it the detailed monotony of filling out time-sheets? Is it a particularly nasty client no one likes to deal with? Take on the problem yourself—for your team—and morale will go up.
7. Change the scenery
Even in a great workspace, emotions can fall when the physical environment stays the same. Get your team out of the office occasionally for a totally unique and different activity, like volunteering for a day at Habitat for Humanity. While everyone is out, have the office freshly painted with bright colors.
Why is it important to recognize employees?
Recognize the individuals on your team who receive good feedback from your clients. It’s important for employees to feel their efforts are being recognized, and the recognition further perpetuates their desire to go above and beyond for your clients, which of course, sets you apart as an organization as well.
Who is the CEO of Incorporate Massage?
This week I had a visit with Salt Lake entrepreneur Amelia Wilcox, founder and CEO of Incorporate Massage. She started her company four and a half years ago, to provide corporate massage services for a variety of organizations.
Who is Amelia Wilcox?
Amelia Wilcox is the founder of Incorporate Massage, of South Jordan, UT. (Image courtesy of ...
What is coarse vibration therapy?
There are a few familiar types of common coarse vibrational therapies: One of hundreds of similar products, advertised mainly as an aid to recovery from exercise & injury. Vibrating massage chairs and tools, especially the “ massage gun ” devices that have exploded in popularity in the last few years.
Why is vibration good for back pain?
Other conditions where movement dysfunction might be a significant factor, and a bit of why, and therefore might be helped by vibration: Both low back pain and neck pain, because they involve substantial fear factors. Gentle vibration can be surprisingly comforting and pleasant at the same time that it’s stimulating.
Do elite runners have vibration therapy?
Only the legs of elite runners are ready for a challenge like that, and not all of them. Half of the runners were given “once-daily sessions of vibration-therapy on the upper and lower legs,” and the other received no treatment. Vibrated muscles were less sore and had fewer blood markers associated with soreness.
Is vibration therapeutic?
Frozen shoulder gives us one of the single best examples of how vibration might be therapeutically useful, but it also greatly depends on the details. Vibration might be more useful for folks with frozen shoulder (AKA adhesive capsulitis) than many other conditions, if the freezing is “functional.”.
Create a Safe Environment
Group facilitator’s goal is to create empathy by sharing emotions. What this means is that the people who participate in group commit to being open and holding space for their other peers who are struggling.
Cultivate Healthy Conversation
Good group therapy is when the facilitator isn’t talking. The facilitator is there to create structure and establish a foundation for other participants to discuss and open up about. Once a seed is planted, participants of group can direct the conversation as they please, the facilitator only chimes in when necessary.
Vulnerability is Strength
In group, a participants should know that it’s okay to not feel ready, but understand that this is a safe, judgement-free environment. Group therapy is a place for growth – one client who once felt that they couldn’t share can be a support system for someone who currently feels they are not ready to share.
Incorporate Alternative Therapy
As previously mentioned, group does not always go as planned. Maybe a group session is taking place right after lunch and the participants are full and sleepy, or they are digesting their afternoon medications. This is when you need a backup plan to boost the morale and mood of those participating.
Team Communication
Besides the actual success of a group session, it is important to check in with the staff that is facilitating group. After a session that took a dark turn, check in with one another. Communicate how groups go and make sure it isn’t always heavy – both for the wellbeing of the clients as well as the facilitators.
The Bottom Line
Group therapy is a useful tool during rehab to allow for community to form. People can come together to share their unique experiences as well as create a common space for shared experiences or feelings.
