Give a plant to that person who is having a tough time adjusting to the company or just doesn’t get much praise or attention. Research shows that plants take toxins out of the air, can reduce workplace illness and can help us be more creative! You’ll be surprised how focusing on the minimal care that it takes to maintain a plant on an ongoing basis gives that person a sense of belonging and purpose.
Peace lilies, parlor palms, philodendrons and snake plants are some of the best low-maintenance and shade-friendly varieties and are perfect for office settings. Greenery makes an office a more pleasant environment, therefore lowering blood pressure and decreasing stress according to one study.
While it is a small thing, you’ll be thought of every time Marcos waters that perennial. Often, he’ll go the extra mile for you especially because you took the time to show you cared.
Did you know that a bad hire can cost a company anywhere from $8,000 to over $200,000? That is why it is so important to not only have strong hiring practices, but to also maintain robust retention and engagement strategies in place.
According to one study conducted by SHRM, the annual turnover rate is 19% and the average cost-per-hire to fill a position is over $4000. You can see how those numbers can quickly add up and start to effect the bottom line. Of course, retention rates vary by industry and location and from year to year, but any organization would benefit from reducing the costs associated with hiring, training, and retaining new employees. One of the easiest ways to start increasing the loyalty among those on your team is to take the time to show them that you appreciate them and that you see the hard work they are doing. You can take it a step further by encouraging someone when they are giving it their all, but maybe not seeing the results they want. Knowing someone has their back and will cheer them on will go a long way in endearing you to them as their leader.
One simple way to show your team support, encouragement, and inspiration comes straight from nature! Next time you’re at the store, pick up a few small, inexpensive indoor plants. Put one on your desk and share the others with your team. The simple gesture is sure to brighten even the drabbest of offices and liven up the atmosphere. As an added bonus, indoor plants have a variety of benefits, from increasing creativity to cleansing the air to reducing stress. Plus, they are simply nice to look at!
This week, I challenge you to do a quick Google search of indoor house plants and see what options would work best for your office space. Then take a few minutes each day to really focus on all the work those on your team are doing. If you can’t get a plant for all of your employees, pinpoint one or two who have gone above and beyond and use the plant as a way to say “thank you!” Or identify someone who has been struggling and pass them some encouragement and motivation in the form of an aloe plant or Craddle Leaf Fig! Share your stories with us in the comments below or email info@janspence.com! Now go cheer on your team!
FUN FACT: No one is exactly sure when people first started growing plants indoors, but the most prominent ancient civilizer of the plant was the Babylonian emperor called Nebuchadnezzar. Between 605 and 652 B.C.E., Nebuchadnezzar married a woman named Amytis who was from Persia. To make Amytis feel more comfortable, Nebuchadnezzar–because he was that kind of guy–built her the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. He suspended palm, cedar, and date trees from the ceilings. Teams of gardeners cultivated fragrant flowers to grow upside down.
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