How’s This For Lack of Appreciation?

I recently met a middle aged woman who had been a manager in a large international company for over 25 years. In all that time she has received positive evaluations and performance assessments from her supervisors. Carol loved her job and worked long hours, seldom missed work due to illness and always went the extra mile for the well being of the company. She did all this because she felt appreciated and valued by those she served.

About two months ago she was called into her supervisor’s office and told that her job description had been changed and, because she didn’t have a university degree, she would no longer be the manager of the department. Her duties would remain the same and she wouldn’t receive a reduction in pay but she would still be expected to work overtime and train the person chosen to succeed her as manager.

Oh yes , it was made perfectly clear that the change in her title did not mean that upper management was dissatisfied with her past performance. She was just the victim of restructuring! How consoling!

Carol was devastated. She felt used, abused and unappreciated and her attitude changed to reflect her feelings and perceptions. Her morale plummeted and her stress soared. She hated her job and was inclined to give her bare minimum effort to it. Each Sunday she would remark to family and friends how she dreaded going into work Monday morning.

Carol just got out of the hospital after having suffered a heart attack at work. To be fair, there were other health issues in her life, but on the job stress was the catalyst that pushed her over the edge.

Why couldn’t her supervisors wait 3 or 4 years until she retired to make such drastic changes? Especially when she was so good at her job.

No wonder lack of appreciation is cited by employees as the number one reason they are always on the lookout for another job.

Your staff will cross a field of broken glass in their bare feet for you if they know you will appreciate them in return.