Are there ways to raise spirits, raise self-esteem, raise awareness, raise interest, raise self-confidence, raise happiness, and raise productivity … other than just giving people a RAISE in salary? YES, there are. Here is a simple acrostic to help remind you how to do it. You can publicly…

The key word in all of this is “publicly.” Behavioral psychologists believe public praise is every bit as powerful as money. Public praise also increases our interest in the work we do because it gets infused with social significance. These experiences, and not money, are what makes people want to return to their place of work day after day.

Employees respond to appreciation expressed through recognition of their good work because it affirms their work is valued by others. When employees work is valued, appreciated and praised, their productivity rises. But here is a scary statistic for you: Only 30% of employees are praised/recognized more than once a year … but employee engagement increases by 35% if praise is given daily. SO, by not praising your employees, you are greatly diminishing the productivity of your company; that makes no sense.

In a survey commissioned by former Yum! Brand’s chief executive officer, they found a staggering 82% of American employees feel they are not recognized enough by their leaders for the contributions that they make. The U.S. Department of Labor reported 46% of the employees who voluntarily quit their jobs, do so because they don’t feel appreciated. If you want to raise morale, raise productivity, raise profitability and reduce employee turnover then start publicly praising your employees. By doing so, you will also RAISE their level of respect for you.

Be someone’s reason to have a better day. Better yet … be their reason to succeed. And, there is added benefit to this: By raising someone else UP … you will also RAISE YOURSELF UP.