Your priorities shift when the economy has your business grasping for the seat before the flush sucks all of your hard earned money in, and it’s easy to forget that respecting your staff members can actually save you some dollars and sanity.

Research has shown that staff members who have the respect and attention of their superiors will work harder and give a little more of themselves. This is because their superiors have not forgotten that a high turnover rate and negativity costs more in the long run than just simply using these simple strategies:

Avoiding the “do as I say, not as I do” mentality. You didn’t like it when your parents did it to you, so why should your staff members suffer the same burden. Being late to work or taking off early on Fridays is not a good way to set an example.

Show them you care enough to help get the work done. If a project is taking too long or you see a staff member getting overwhelmed, help them out. Sharing in the workload will show your staff that you care about them enough to help when help is needed.

Include them when possible. Everyone wants to be a part of something and including your staff in project ideas and meetings will make them feel part of the team. Hearing ideas besides your own is also beneficial to your business.

Don’t forget to laugh. Bring in a sense of humor every day, without it, you will be the one bringing in the negativity and we all know from reading all of these Monday Morning Motivators that negativity will be the end to a happy workplace.