Senior managers who regularly motivate and praise their staff achieve the best results

We all thrive on gestures that make us feel truly appreciated. It's easy to shrivel and feel devalued when we're not treated with respect.

Through travelling around the country and observing the different ways that senior staff treat their team, we have noticed that leaders who go out of their way to thank and encourage their staff get the best results.

Managers who take time to listen, praise simple gestures, support younger members of the team who may feel anxious or apprehensive and generally check that everyone is happy, give their staff confidence. Standing by a someone who has used their initiative wisely in difficult circumstances, passing on compliments from patients and heaping praise on anyone who goes the extra mile all contribute to self esteem and can greatly improve the atmosphere and work ethic whether within a hospital, care home or in the community.

Staff at the highest level can devalue people lower down the ranks by being too busy to remember these simple ideas. Obsessively reminding staff of rules, regulations and tick boxes demotivates people if those messages are not accompanied by a feeling of being truly appreciated.

A simple letter or email thanking someone for the care they are delivering is a great way to lift someone's morale. It doesn't take a moment but it can make a huge difference.

We were delighted to receive this letter from Juliet Shaw which demonstrates so clearly why some senior staff get so much more from their team than others...

She writes......

Dear Jill

As a nurse the sense of being valued for what you do can never be under-estimated because without it we cannot give the best to our patients. It is about saying thank you and recognising when people go that extra mile to support patients, relatives and colleagues.

As a Community Nurse I have been inspired by many people but consistently so by our Professor in Tissue Viability (wound care) /Consultant Nurse who is clearly passionate about what she does and generates immense enthusiasm for promoting a high quality service. Some of the simple things that she does, I believe, make the ‘world of difference’ to the service and should be shared in other clinical areas include:

First and foremost, always putting the patient first, listening to their individual needs and promoting high quality care to address those needs.

Supporting district nursing teams in the care of patients with very complex needs; not taking over, but allowing people to professionally develop under supervision which inspires confidence and promotes good practice.....

What makes a difference is her willingness to always listen to other people’s opinions and her ability to get the best out of people. It encourages people to try and reach their full potential......

Taking great care of her team; it may seem simple but having a lovely homemade buffet lunch before the meetings including homemade cakes and tea in china cups makes you feel very special and truly valued for what you do.

There are, I am sure, so many people in the NHS who are inspirational to individual nurses.

So why not do a simple thing that will make the world of difference; just say thank you!

Kind Regards

Juliet Shaw

Community Nurse