There is a big difference in small-business ownership/management when it moves from being a solo operation to having employees. Most business owners start off as solopreneurs and add staff as their businesses grow. When solopreneurs launched, they needed only to keep themselves motivated to open the doors each day. But when staff is added there is another ingredient — effective management and leadership of people that keeps them motivated, feeling valued and satisfied.

Leslie Cohen, COO of Boston-based Davis Companies, said, "Recognition and gratitude are free, but managers are reluctant to give it." This is a big disconnect in small-business management. Owners are so busy generating revenue to survive they fail to recognize that their people are the mainstay of their success.

People are the most important assets of any business, but more so with small businesses where there are normally fewer resources. On Cape Cod, the majority of small businesses have four employees or less, which means each one is truly a valued asset. So what are the different kinds of recognition and ways of expressing gratitude?

People just want you to say "thank you." They want to know that you recognize the time and energy expended to achieve a goal. "Thank you" are the least-used words in the English language today.

Employees want feedback on how they did. They want to know what went well and what didn’t go quite so well.

The third type of recognition revolves around why — telling someone why it is important that they are on the team because of the qualities that they bring to the team's results.

To be effective, recognition and gratitude have to be timely and specific. According to Joan Shafer, ExCo., it needs to come from a place of gratitude, which starts with transparency. According to TINYpulse.com, there is a 0.93% correlation coefficient between employee happiness and management transparency. And the cost of being transparent is zero. It means having an ongoing dialogue with employees. Most employees are disconnected since they feel taken for granted. Here are some ideas for how you can create happy, satisfied and productive employees by becoming more transparent and connected:

Connect to your organization’s mission, values and objectives. On a regular basis, meet with your employees so they feel connected to the company, not just the job. Disconnected employees are less productive since they don't see the end game in the work they are doing. Put the values that represent your brand on paper. Formalize them so everyone sees them, not just hears them, and on a continual basis, remind them that these are the elements that create differentiation, making customers want to do business with you.

Create clarity. Eighty-two percent of employees affirm the value of having a manager that clearly communicates job responsibilities. You can boost the productivity of every employee if they clearly understand and can articulate their role in achieving the company’s objectives.

Let employee opinions be part of the decision process. Who knows best about customer-based decisions than your employees? They are in direct contact with buyers every day. By listening to employees' opinions and ideas, you are creating a collaborative environment where they see themselves as part of the organization not apart from the organization. Using techniques such as brainstorming or groupthink allows employees to voice their opinion relative to decisions that can affect them and their work.

Celebrate success. Employees crave social interaction with other workers. No matter the generation of workers, they all find meaning in opportunities to celebrate success, which leads to a more satisfying work environment. Whether it be birthdays, work anniversaries, closing a difficult sale or meeting a company objective, look for ways to celebrate.

Recognition. It takes more than a pat on the back to keep employees motivated. They need to personally be recognized — and by their peers as well. Create an environment that makes recognition a part of everyday life. It is not a to-do list item, it should be automatic.

When thinking about designing a "recognition culture," consider the following:

Concentration where it counts. As Stephen Covey said in 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, "first things first." Set priorities so that the urgent items on your to-do list are those that get everyone's attention. Employees value focusing on actions that get the most results.

Make accountability part of the culture. Set goals, identify the actions to be taken to achieve those goals and then check in regularly to see that progress is being made in completing the goal. When managers set expectations, check regularly, reward team members when the goals are exceeded and coach when they are not being achieved, there is a different approach to accomplishing the work of an organization.

Use "we," not "I" and "they." Get rid of the latter two pronouns in your vocabulary. They are not productive when communicating with your team.

Be present. "Ninety percent of success is showing up." Be present in the work lives of your employees. Tom Peters in his landmark book, In Search of Excellence, called it MBWA — Management by Walking Around. Be visible. Engage with your team not just on a work level, but a social level. Get to know them as individuals.

Customer acquisition is one of a business's biggest expenses. They return because they receive consistency in their experience. And the experience starts with employees who are satisfied with their work providing great customer service and exceeding customer expectations in their experience.

Contributed by Marc Goldberg, Certified Mentor. Sourced: TINYpulse.com 7 Insights for Happy Employees; Adam Bryant, Your Employees Crave Recognition. Why are Most Managers So Stingy, ExCo., Terry Starbucker, www.ceo.com, www.ipra.com. Free and Confidential Mentoring on management techniques is available at SCORE Cape Cod and the Islands — www.capecod.score.org, capecodscore@scorevolunteer.org, 508-775-4884

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Businesses create great customer experiences when employees are happy