Do you have invisible employees?
By Bob Levoy

There is a crisis in business today — the invisible employee, say Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton, co-authors of The Invisible Employee: Realizing the Hidden Potential in Everyone (John Wiley & Sons, 2006).

Feeling overlooked, ignored, and unappreciated, invisible employees deal with the situation by doing no more than what is absolutely required of them and often grumble about their jobs, their boss, or the practice itself — to anyone who will listen, including patients.

How bad is this situation in the American workplace? An astounding 65 percent of Americans report receiving no recognition for good work in the past year, say Tom Rath and Donald O. Clifton, PhD, co-authors of How Full is Your Bucket? (Gallup Press, 2004).

The end result of having employees who feel invisible and unappreciated is the heavy toll it takes on morale, productivity, profitability, and practice growth.

The sad thing, say Gostick and Elton, is that most managers have no idea about the unhealthy state of their workplaces or the real needs of the people who work there. "And why is that important?" they ask. "Because people who feel appreciated, do what they do better." It's that simple.

When was the last time you did any of the following?

• Thanked an employee at the end of the day for a job well done?
• Gave a staff member a raise without being asked?
• Had fresh flowers delivered to your staff following a hectic week at work?
• Sent a fruit basket (or its equivalent) to an employee's home in appreciation of his or her extra efforts on the job?
• Sent an e-mail or thank-you note to a staff member who went above-and-beyond the call of duty?
• Celebrated the achievement of practice goals or the completion of special projects with plenty of public pats on the back?
• Told your staff how important they are to your practice and how much you truly appreciate them?

"It's an easy solution to throw money at our employee problems," say Gostick and Elton, "as if higher salaries will enhance productivity, or generate ideas, or cultivate customer intimacy. While competitive salaries are important, going above the market won't drive greater performance. In reality, real solutions are much less expensive: Each of your employees wants to be seen, to be validated, and recognized."

Action step: Think of someone on your team who deserves recognition for an above-and-beyond effort and send a handwritten note of thanks to his or her home.

Tie your message to a specific core value that is important to your team. Make it specific. Explain exactly what the employee did that was outstanding and moved you closer to your practice goals.

I've seen such notes tacked up on walls, pulled out of wallets, kept in a special place — and invariably, treasured. Why? Because in a word, recognition is so rare.

"Outstanding leaders," said Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart, "go out of their way to boost the self-esteem of their personnel. If people believe in themselves, it's amazing what they can accomplish."

Bob Levoy's newest book, 222 Secrets of Hiring, Managing and Retaining Great Employees in Healthcare Practices, is published by Jones and Bartlett Publishers. He can be reached at b.levoy@att.net.