Appreciation is defined by Oxford’s Dictionary as “recognizing the value of something or someone.” One of the key outcome measures of the Newmeasures employee engagement survey is whether or not an employee feels valued; one of the strongest correlates of feeling valued is appreciation.
Many employers have become quite adept at the practice of formal recognition and rewarding employees for their extra efforts, but are these examples of appreciation? How do we make our people feel more valued? How do we raise the level of appreciation in our culture? These are questions many of our clients grapple with as they address their survey results.
There are a few ways all of us can practice the fine art of appreciation. Newmeasures has observed from our studies of best practice organizations and their leaders that there are 4 primary elements of appreciation.
Appreciation should be sincere. Saying thank you without really meaning it creates a mechanical culture where leaders are programmed to respond, but lack the authenticity needed for individuals to genuinely feel valued.
The word sincere comes from two Latin words: “sin” which means “without” and “cere” which means “wax.” The ancients used the term to describe fine porcelain vases and containers that made it through the firing process without any cracks or flaws. Dishonest merchants would use wax to cover the fine cracks, and to the unknowing eye, the vase was flawless and more valuable. Honest vendors would advertise their wares as “sin cere.” Knowledgeable buyers would hold the vase up to the sun; any fine cracks would be visible in the light and the flaw would become evident, or they used heat to cause the wax to melt, revealing the flaw.
Such is the case with appreciation. Employees know who is sincere and who lacks authenticity when they “recognize” them for their efforts. Under the heat of stress and pressure, many leaders melt and reveal their true characters.
Appreciation should be demonstrated. Verbalizing our gratitude is important, but employees want to see it demonstrated. Our actions toward them speak volumes about our true values.
Demonstrations of appreciation include taking employees to lunch, writing notes, giving gift certificates, taking time to ask about them and their interests, sending them to conferences/educational seminars, and assisting them on projects.
Every individual responds to appreciation in different ways. Some enjoy public demonstrations of appreciation and some would rather not be singled out in a public context.
Appreciation should be frequent. Contrary to popular opinion, you cannot over-appreciate a person. If it is sincere and valid, it is appropriate. Waiting for the annual review or the employee of the month announcement is not what employees need to feel valued. Frequent expressions of appreciation create a culture where employees feel good about valuing each other.
A culture of appreciation is caught, not taught. It starts at the top, and when employees see frequent demonstrations of appreciation from the leadership they emulate those behaviors.
Forcing appreciation is not effective. Mandatory note writing, nominating an employee of the week, and HR programs forced upon management are typically not very effective at making employees feel truly valued. These programs come off as contrived and subjective in nature. Good leaders practice the art, and regularly valuing their people is simply the way they live.
Appreciation should be consistent. Employees feel valued when they see leadership consistently demonstrate appreciation for extraordinary behaviors and actions. It sends mixed emotional messages when leaders demonstrate appreciation for a behavior on one occasion, then ignore the behavior on another. Such erratic demonstrations of appreciation encourage suspicions of bias and discrimination, and erode trust in the workplace.
Consistent demonstration of appreciation reinforces positive behaviors and actions, and is much more motivating than cultures where it is practiced sporadically or inconsistently.
Simple acts of appreciation (cards, thank you notes, etc.) are wonderful ways for leaders to say “you are valued,” and the extra effort does not go unnoticed. Sincere, frequent, and consistent demonstrations of appreciation will send a strong message to your workforce that valuing others is a key to organizational success.
