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Changing your organization culture requires a whole new way of communicating. What’s vital is communicating authentic appreciation…it’s organizational oil.
When workers feel used and not valued, rewarding them backfires. They have to feel valued for more than what they produce. They’re persons, not replaceable parts.
Morale-building events must make sense in a culture of appreciation, or they come off contrived. Don’t try to communicate appreciation with a broad brush.
Things to Remember for Effective Communications
Keep your messages sweet and simple, in languages your team members understand, with actions they value. Keep in mind that tone of voice and body language often say more than words.
Team members like appreciation for doing a good job, but they also want to be valued for who they are—not just what they produce.
Leaders’ Insights
When new leaders own mistakes of their team members, they often feel like they’re superheroes flying in. They come in with exuberance and confidence, thinking they have the magic recipe and their can-do attitude and encouragement will bring everybody on board. They need to learn that each individual needs to be appreciated and valued differently.
If you’re going to be a leader, know your followers. One leader remarked, “I mainly focused on who I am, what I do, and what I offer. Though I’ve always taken people into consideration and tried to serve them, I haven’t spent enough focused time on knowing my followers…until now…”
Peer-to-peer recognition is 36% more likely to have a positive impact on financial results than manager-only recognition. It happens one-by-one, as people experience authentic appreciation from their leaders. Then they spread it to their colleagues.
Take time to listen to each person who reports to you. Watch for nonverbal signals. Become the Great Listener.
The Fable’s Core Principles
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- Not everyone feels appreciated in the same ways. “One size” doesn’t fit all—that is why most employee recognition programs are ineffective.
- There are five effective languages of appreciation in the workplace.
- Words of Affirmation: A simple verbal compliment or word of encouragement, expressed verbally or in writing.
- Quality Time: Communicating value through focused attention, inviting the person to spend time with you and other colleagues.
- Acts of Service: Simple act that can make a colleague’s day go better (e.g., working with them to ensure a time-sensitive project is completed).
- Tangible Gifts: Small gift that shows you are getting to know what your co-worker likes (e.g., bringing in a snack you know they will enjoy).
- Physical Touch: Spontaneous celebration of a positive result–a fist-bump when a project is completed or a congratulatory handshake when a sale is closed.
- Appreciation must be communicated in ways important to the recipient. Most of us attempt to show appreciation in ways meaningful to us. Those with whom we work are often encouraged in different ways. (Note how The Platinum Rule offers a similar perspective.)
- People want to feel valued by both their supervisors and colleagues. One mistake employee recognition programs make is to focus primarily on “top-down” relationships. While employees want to know they are appreciated by their supervisors, individuals also want to know they are valued by their colleagues.
- Appreciation must be viewed as authentic. When recipients doubt the genuineness of recognition—when they consider appreciation inauthentic—apathy, cynicism, and mistrust grow. Authenticity is at the heart of healthy workplace relationships.
May our knowledge and understanding of our team members grow and our communications improve, as we shoot for the stars!