What if every day were Labor Day
Labor Day is more than the unofficial end of summer.
The backstory: Congress made Labor Day a federal holiday in 1984 to recognize the contributions and achievements of American workers.
Why it matters: Once a year, we pause to appreciate the people who do the work.
But here's a thought:
What if every day were Labor Day?
Not the cookouts, long weekends, or 50% off patio furniture sales. What if we treated people like their contributions mattered every day?
Too often, recognition gets scheduled. It's the annual awards ceremony, Employee Appreciation Day, a five-year anniversary, or a shout-out at the monthly meeting.
Those things are great. But recognition shouldn't need an Outlook reminder.
Take a look at this article and data (source: Qualtrics)
According to research conducted by Globoforce, 79% of employees say recognition makes them work harder and 78% say recognition makes them more productive.
70% of employees say recognition makes them feel emotionally connected to peers.
“Recognize me” is the most important driver of great work:
Here are ways to make Labor Day every day:
Recognize something specific TODAY. Skip the generic "great job." Tell someone what they did, why it mattered, and the difference it made. Meaningful recognition can take 30 seconds. Start with a “thank you.”
Give people a break. Notice when someone has been pushing hard. Cancel an unnecessary meeting. Extend a deadline when you can. Tell someone to log off early after a tough week. Sometimes the best way to show appreciation is simply to let off the gas.
Invest in their growth. Ask people what they want to get better at—and help them get there. Give them coaching, feedback, practice, and opportunities instead of waiting for the next scheduled training program.
Build a philosophy of what we call “continuous coaching” into your leadership development programs. We work with clients to make recognition and development conversations part of the culture, not simply tasks on a to-do list.
The bottom line: Labor Day gives us one day to recognize workers' contributions.
Great leaders make people feel valued during the other 364 as well.
