What can appreciation do for your organization? It turns out quite a lot!
As an employee engagement and retention expert who has trained leaders, teams, and entire organizations in the 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace, I have witnessed the profound effects appreciation has on individuals and organizations. Individuals who feel valued by the people around them, think, feel, and act in positive ways which has major ramifications on organizational outcomes.
Here are 5 major benefits that acts of appreciation in the workplace produces:
1) Improves relationships by building trust and respect.
People want to work with people who make them feel valued. Someone who feels genuinely appreciated has better relationships with the individuals on their team and those in other departments. Collaboration and teamwork increase dramatically when peer-to-peer appreciation exists.
2) Affirms a person’s value as a human being.
The workforce has changed. Employees today want deeper meaning associated with their work. In addition to competitive pay and benefits and opportunities for growth, they want to work somewhere where they feel they are making a difference with their life. They want to hear that they who they are and what they do matter to other people and to the organization.
3) Motivates individuals to perform at their best.
People crave feedback on how they are doing. They hate feeling invisible. They want to be recognized and appreciated for their good work. When they are, they feel motivated to do it again or to do it even better. Never underestimate what a simple act of appreciation can do for a person’s motivation and performance.
4) Increases loyalty and retention.
Human beings need appreciation like they need air. It’s something every individual needs. Because it’s a need, employees will go looking for it somewhere else if they aren’t receiving it. Those who receive appreciation on a regular basis from their peers and supervisor, know how rare that is in a workplace. They know if they were to leave, they will not find it easily again. They become loyal to the people they work with and to the organization.
5) Strengthens organizational culture
Culture is “how we do things around here.” When appreciation becomes a part of organizational culture, employee engagement skyrockets and the news spreads like wildfire. People like working for you and others want to come work for you.
These are 5 reasons why appreciation is a necessity and not a nicety for every organization who employs human beings. It’s a soft skill with hard results, which means every person should know how to communicate appreciation well.
Contact Us! We help organizations build a culture of appreciation using the 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace.
