Last week we broke down how Gabb CEO Nate Randle motivates his employees by telling stories about their customers, providing context and relevance to help them get behind the mission.
This week we turn to…Nate Randle! Again!
Just as last week, we start with the Harvard Business Review. In their article, they recommend, in their Ivy League way, to “recognize employees and show appreciation.”
No sh*t, Sherlock!
Anyone could tell you that. But it’s how CEOs do it thatmatters. Once again, Nate shows us the way.
Why His Approach Works
There are dozens of ways to give recognition to your employees. There’s nothing wrong with any of them.
But Nate’s approach is different. Take this example.

In this post, Nate not only acknowledges the hard work ofone of his employees, but also the sacrifices of that employee’s family. He gives a heartfelt thank-you to his employee for his hard work, at the same time acknowledging the employee’s dedication to supporting his family.
Notice the post doesn’t say anything about closing a sale orhitting high numbers. Instead, it paints a picture of why the employee’s work is so important to the company, and why he is so important to his wife and kids.
This goes far beyond what any “attaboy” could do, because itgets to the heart of why the employee works – why any employee works. It’s emotional, human, and sincere, which resulted in it being seen by more people.
There’s another benefit to this approach. When you tell youremployees’ stories on a platform like LinkedIn, other people see that. People like customers.
And when customers see that you’re loyal to your employees,they tend to feel good about purchasing your products or services. In response to Nate’s post above, one customer commented, “This makes me love this company even more.”
That kind of brand trust and loyalty is tough to get. Itshows you how powerful a simple story can be.
Copy This Strategy
Nothing motivates employees like getting recognized fortheir work. Short of not doing it at all, it’s almost impossible to screw it up.
But if you really want your employees to know they’re appreciated, find new, creative ways to tell their stories. Celebrate not only the work they do, but who they are as people.
It doesn’t much. By occasionally telling the stories of oneof your employees, you can also make all of your employees feel appreciated. Much more than if you just gave praise for specific, work-related achievements, though you should do that, too.
More specifically, recognize the sacrifices that they, andtheir families make in pursuit of the company’s mission, just as Nate did with his post.
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