There was a time when the newest of the 13 employees in our office had been with us for 10 years. Recently, we’ve had a solid core of eight or more, but a couple of positions have had turnover every few years for various reasons: People move. A staff member retires when a spouse retires, etc. (To be fair, though, we have encouraged a few staff members to leave; some more than others.)

All that said, we are committed to attracting and retaining staff. But this is easier said than done when staff members are from multiple generations. The good news: We found a connection between appreciation and staff retention, regardless of the employee’s generation.

‘The 5 Languages’

A few years ago, I learned of the book, “The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace: Empowering Organizations by Encouraging People,” by Drs. Gary Chapman and Paul White. Already familiar with Dr. Chapman’s book, “The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts,” I bought the “Workplace” book.

Both books discuss the five languages people respond to: words of affirmation, quality time, acts of service, tangible gifts, and physical touch.

One can imagine how these five languages apply to personal relationships. For the “Workplace” book, though, the authors researched how the five love languages relate to the workplace. They found, for instance, that job satisfaction, a key to employee retention, is greatly affected by appreciation.

The following example illustrates this connection.

Breaking with tradition

For many years, my practice kept traditional hours — Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. However, summers in North Dakota are precious — the most coveted season of the year. Warm weather and daylight allow for activities, such as water skiing, as late as 9:00 p.m. To take advantage of this season, we decided to close at noon on Fridays a few years ago: Historically, no-show rates were high on those days, and no one, including the staff and doctors, wanted to be in the office on those Friday afternoons. The outcome: Despite fewer hours, staff was just as productive, and the practice continued to grow.

Recently, a new hire commented, “One of the most attractive things about this job is the early outs on Fridays in the summer.”

One language of appreciation is a tangible gift; in this case, time. Now, I’m exploring continuing summer hours year-round. From a business perspective, by rearranging time slots for comprehensive examinations, we could see just as many people in fewer hours. Continuing summer hours would also allow time on Friday afternoons to catch up with orders and billing, as there would be fewer interruptions. In other words, it would add some flexibility to our schedules.

Creating positive change

We’re in the process of sharing our “why” for this change with our staff, so they will buy-in to it. So, we’re creating change, as I have discussed in my previous columns, but again, it’s a positive change. And, hopefully, in doing so, we are following some of the learnings of appreciation in the workplace. OM

DR. CARLSON was the first woman to serve as president of the American Optometric Association. Most recently, she was a 2019 recipient of Women of Optometry’s Theia Award for Leadership. In addition to her optometric leadership, Dr. Carlson is a 2020 graduate from the University of Jamestown, with a Master of Arts in Leadership, as well as a John Maxwell-certified speaker and trainer.