Employee recognition is an increasingly important management requirement in the workplace, with a number of research studies showing the importance of staff engagement and appreciating employees for their daily positive contributions to the team. “To win in the marketplace you must first win in the workplace.” – Doug Conant, CEO of Campbell’s Soup Appreciation and Recognition are the two major factors that bring about employee job satisfaction and happiness. According to the equity theory, based on the work of J. Stacy Adams, workers compare the reward potential to the effort they must expend. Equity exists when workers perceive that rewards equal efforts. “When people are financially invested, they want a return. When people are emotionally invested, they want to contribute.” – Simon Sinek  But employees just don’t look at their potential rewards, they look at the rewards of others as well. Inequities occur when people feel that their rewards are inferior to the rewards offered to other persons sharing the same workloads. “Employees who believe that management is concerned about them as a whole person – not just an employee – are more productive, more satisfied, more fulfilled. Satisfied employees mean satisfied customers, which leads to profitability.” –Anne M. Mulcahy Fine! Let’s see some amazing statistics that clearly shows “What are and what aren’t making employees happy?” Unhappy Employees’ Stats 88% of employees don’t have passion for their work. 75% of workers don’t quit their job, but quit their boss. 78% of people would work harder in their jobs if they were recognised. 60% of those who don’t feel they are appreciated are looking for a job. 65% of working Americans say they receive no praise or recognition on the job. Employee turnover was up by 46% in companies with ineffective employee recognition programs. Did you know the 1 reason most American employees quit their jobs is they don’t feel appreciated? What makes employees motivated Happy Employees’ Stats Organizations where recognition occurs have 14% better employee engagement, productivity and customer service than those without. 90% find a “fun” work environment extremely motivating. 76% said opportunities for growth were the top reason they stayed in an organization. 70% of workers are motivated by non-monetary rewards at work. 80% of those who feel they are being appreciated stay put. The equity theory makes a good point: What a manager thinks is irrelevant to an employee because the real issue is the way an employee perceives his or her situation. Rewards perceived as equitable should have positive results on job satisfaction and performance; those rewards perceived as inequitable may create job dissatisfaction and cause performance problems. Every manager needs to make sure that any undesirable consequences from equity comparisons are avoided, or at least minimized, when rewards are allocated.  To motivate workers, managers must strengthen workers’ perceptions of their efforts as both possible and worthwhile, clarify expectations of performances, tie rewards to performances, and make sure that rewards are desirable. Employee Recognition and Appreciation So Some Hard Hitting Facts Strategic recognition drives engagement Lack of recognition drives turnover High employee engagement leads to better business results or ROI Awards, recognition and praise might be the single most cost effective way to maintain a happy productive force. Respect employees, ask for their opinion and show genuine...

How Can a Strong Emotional Intelligence Foster a Happy Relationship? The Emotional Science Behind a Happy Relationship – Lets see some surprising elements that hold couples together. It is a well known fact that couples where both people have high levels of Emotional Intelligence are closer, are more committed to one another, and are more satisfied in their relationships. But what is it about EI that is so helpful? The study authors suggest that being able to manage your own emotions, understand your partners’ emotions and behave in emotionally competent ways, all contribute to a happy love life. They also suggest that you likely model good emotional skills when you’re high in EI, and these skills may rub off on you partner, benefiting you both. Happy Couples Talk More People in the most successful marriages spend quality time together talking for 5 hours or more in a week. The determining or deciding factor whether a couple feels satisfied with the sex, romance and passion is by 80% the quality of their friendship with each other. We always see good friends getting married eventually and the success rate is quite high. Im here with you Stay with me As you communicate with each other, don’t listen what you want to hear, but listen to what your partner is trying to convey, because it is the same thing you would expect of him/her to do. Notice whether your partner seems stressed, frazzled, sad, frustrated, confused, pleased, glad, joyful, etc. Such emotional attunement will level up your ability to understand him/her better, and respond in ways that lead to happy and long-lasting relationships. Celebrate Your Partner’s Success This is a crucial factor in a relationship that strengthens your bond. When your partner comes with a good news, you have to say, “Honey, am really proud of you, tell me more about it. Being enthusiastic for small beautiful things about your partner may bring about big amazing results. This especially holds good for a man when his girl accomplishes something, because the only person she wants to appreciate her more than anybody else would be her husband. Find out Your Shared Interests Try to do something together that makes you both happy. Go for an evening walk or dine together in a new restaurant or may be you could start exploring a new place. Happy couples tend to bring out the best in each other. Managing the Moments of Tension Healthy arguments are always part of a relationship – marriage or friendship. When it crosses the limit, happy couples tend to bring it to a truce as quick as possible – through a short message saying Sorry or I Love You or “Friends?” Humor is always part of a happy relationship and how it helps you at times like these is beyond imagination! Plus, a little compromise from one’s end is not a crime – when it helps to hold your relationship together. Unhappy couples tend to do these things when they fight Criticize Show contempt Act defensively Resort to name-calling Tune out At the end of any conflict, focus on reconnecting and rebuilding emotional bonds strained by the conflict. Choose to Trust Your Partner When you build trust in a relationship, you are exercising the best possible relationship management, which is one of the four primary areas of emotional intelligence. Always assume the best of the people you care about, or those you work closely with. This is not only beneficial to your view of the other person, it helps you to move closer to the positive, loving person that you truly are at the core of your being. Trust is a choice you make, it’s not something you wait for the other...

The Key Functions of a Finance Manager Finance manager is one of the important role-players in the domain of finance function. He must have a complete know-how on the areas of accounting, finance, economics and management. His position calls for judicious capability and analytical approach to solve various problems related to finance. A person who deals with finance related activities may be called finance manager. “Focus on a few key objectives … I only have three things to do. I have to choose the right people, allocate the right number of dollars, and transmit ideas from one division to another with the speed of light. So I’m really in the business of being the gatekeeper and the transmitter of ideas.” – Jack Welch The Finance Man Finance manager performs the following major functions Forecasting Financial Requirements It is the principal function of the Finance Manager where he is required to estimate the financial obligations of the business concern. He should evaluate how much finances are required to procure fixed assets and forecast the amount needed to meet the working capital requirements in future. Acquiring Necessary Capital The next step of a finance manager is to focus on how the finance is deployed and where it will be available. Investment Decision Best investment alternatives have to be considered to assure reasonable and stable return from the investment. He must be competent in the field of capital budgeting techniques to govern the effective utilization of investment. The finance manager must attach more importance to the principles of safety, liquidity and profitability while investing capital. Cash Management Cash management plays a major role in the area of finance because proper cash management also helps to meet the short-term liquidity position of the concern. Inter-relation With Other Departments Finance manager handles various functional departments such as marketing, production, personnel, system, research, development, etc. He must maintain a good rapport with all the functional departments of the business organization. “Rule No. 1 : Never lose money. Rule No. 2 : Never forget Rule No. 1.”― Warren...

15 Super Ways to Handle Stress at Workplace+ Yoga     Some jobs have such high demands on your personal time that they practically become a way of life. The pressures and unpredictability of these types of jobs make it very difficult to find time to relax. Say for example, many who work in the grocery industry deal with customers face-to-face on a daily basis. This kind of high level customer service and constant interaction can take a toll on emloyees’ wellbeing and drain them as well over an eight hour shift. Mixing this exhaustion with other job responsibilities creates a perfect storm for stress. So, how does one cope? Ironically, jobs devoted to improving the wellbeing of others can be stress-inducing themselves. They call for excellent problem-solving and time management skills, as well as being sensitive to people’s needs. How does someone working in the health care industry eliminate stress without sacrificing the quality of their work? Well, the solution is not as hard as you may think or want it to be. With little changes in your lifestyle and habits, a great deal can be achieved to bring harmony in your work-life balance. Here is a list of 15 ways as to “How you could relieve stress?” Exercise Try simply leaving the building you are in and taking a short (10-15 minutes) walk around the block when you are feeling stressed, you will be amazed at how much better you feel. Most of us don’t realize that exercise releases endorphins that make us feel good. Research indicates that moderate-intensity aerobic exercise performed 3x over a week for 20 minutes is the most effective at helping manage stress levels. Even short bursts of 5 minutes of cardiovascular exercise stimulates anti-anxiety effects. Breathing Here’s a good one. Try breathing in to the count of 4. Hold for 7 counts, breathe out for 8 counts. This is a well-known relaxation technique and works out like a charm. It also comes in handy when you are dealing with pain. Eat Something Healthy Eat a piece of fruit if you’re hungry. Don’t load up on the sugar and caffeine because you will experience a rebound crash in about an hour or two. You’ll end up feeling worse than you were already. Take a Mental Vacation Go to a place where you can be alone for about 10 minutes and imagine that you are in a location that you’d find relaxing. Imagine that you are in a beautiful beach all alone with waves caressing your feet. Feel the comfortable warmth of the sun on your skin. Listen to the sounds of birds flying overhead. Feel the sand on your feet and legs. Sounds wonderful eh! Relax… Pray Research has shown that people who pray have positive correlation with the Almighty and they do handle stress better. Pet a Small Animal Stroking an animal can be very soothing and comforting. There are now programs where volunteers take their trained pets into hospitals and convalescent homes. It has been proven that stroking pets can help patients get well faster. Smile More – The Power of Smiling Smiles are a universal greeting. They make you look more pleasant and trustworthy, as well as releasing endorphins- making you feel better too. Smiling is very important for our wellbeing, as people who smile live longer, are less stressed and more successful in life. Tip: Smiling can add 7 bonus years to your life! So Get Smiling… Make time for fun Play an online game. Participate in a hobby. Hang upside down from your bed, walk backwards around the block, wave at the cars passing by, or dance in...

Customer Service is the emerging battlefield where small businesses need to score. And if they manage to do well here, then their brands can get automatically differentiated. “Customers may forget what you said but they’ll never forget how you made them feel. “ The existing customers can function as the brand advocates, socially endorsing the business on all channels.  Customers today demand to engage with both small and big brands on a 1-to-1 basis. They expect the brands to remember their names and details on second interaction onwards. CRM – The Importance of  Customer Relationship Management The depicted infographic here clearly chalks out what needs to be done when it comes to resolving customer issues by delivering a smooth and seamless experience through various channels. Customer Relationship Management is the central point of this infographic developed in tandem with TalkDesk covering the importance of Customer Service across all communication channels, and how to make sure every customer is treated like a VIP. Infographic Courtesy : Kaylee White Ghergich & Co. Social Media and User Experience Social Media has its own role to play when it comes to “USER EXPERIENCE”- Convince and Convert suggests that 42% of customers develop two minds about a brand if they do not get a social reply from it within 1 hour. So it becomes essential for all businesses to have the capability to get back to the customers promptly on social media. Customers want effortless engagement Successful companies recognize that the race from good to great customer experiences is on and that consumers just want effortless engagement. Client service teams must now use data from social media platforms, mobile apps, loyalty programs and a host of other sources to tailor experiences to their customers. The goal is to gain a competitive edge and that means creating an emotional, therefore memorable experience for your customers. Poor client service has an impact on the bottom line and profit margins.  Good customer service can be the greatest sales asset a retailer can have, encouraging loyalty and word-of-mouth recommendations. But bad customer service cannot only see a particular sale lost in an instant, but long-term irreparable damage done to the brand. Secure Your Place in the Market Through Great Customer Service Firstly, marketplaces are competitive. There are numerous sellers, sometimes selling fairly similar products. One point of differentiation is price, but another is certainly customer service. There is great cache to being listed as one of the number one sellers on a marketplace. Customers see you first, and you rank highly in searches. One of the ways to reach this status is via customer service, so sellers really go the extra mile to ensure customer service is as good as it possibly can...