Lack of recognition is the No. 1 cause of employee dissatisfaction. Give creatively to team members, and they will give back productivity, loyalty and team spirit. Try these low-cost ways to reward them:

• Encourage team members to applaud one another. One way is to take turns awarding a special coin or trophy at monthly meetings. The reigning champion could make a short speech praising the person that he or she felt contributed the most over the past month and then present the award to the new winner.
• Create a Wall of Fame in a public space to showcase team accomplishments. Display awards members have won, or simply post letters from satisfied customers.