The Energy Of Appreciation

"Appreciation is one of the most powerful, yet misunderstood, nmisused and untapped energies available to us” ~Noelle C. NelsonnnWe typically share what we appreciate at Thanksgiving around the dining room table reflecting on family and being together during this holiday season. I found it interesting that the origin of Thanksgiving is actually rooted in work. Think about it, the very first Thanksgiving feast in America came about when the Pilgrims wanted to express their gratitude to the Native Americans who had helped them survive their first year in their new land. It was a day to celebrate the hard-work of the harvest. It seems the tradition of Thanksgiving began as a way of celebrating what we consider workplace values of hard work and cooperation. nnWho would you like to thank for their help and support over this past year? nnI wondered how many teams and companies are gathering to share their appreciation around the office this year in the same way. Going beyond that, how many teams and companies make appreciation a highlight within their daily workplace culture?n nWhat is your current company culture like?nIs your culture and mission statement in writing for new employees or for review during your office meetings and reviews? nDoes your team THRIVE or dive within your current culture? nnEmployees hear plenty about what they have not completed or achieved and what is not working as individuals, groups, or organizations, never quite acknowledging what was accomplished or improved. As Ken Blanchard points out in his book “Whale Done” we get caught up in the “gotcha” mode, always pointing out what’s wrong vs. what’s right, focused on flaws not strengths. nnA common complaint expressed by employees is that they don't receive enough positive feedback. This is the perfect time of year for managers to say "thank you" to employees and to express appreciation for their contributions to the team. nnEmployees can set the example by thanking their boss for giving them the opportunity to work for them, or their manager for their support and hard work. I have worked with teams that have no problem telling me about their boss that overlooks all their hard work, but they’ve made no effort in return, to acknowledge their boss! (Being a boss is not always easy, in fact there are pressures that they don’t share with their team in most cases.) nnStudies have shown that the person with the strongest vibration level is the one that influences the environment the most, positive or negative. That means if you are absolutely a positive person with only good things to say, you can cause a positive shift in a negative environment. Just as a plant leans towards the sunlight, people tend to lean toward a pleasant, positive person that shines appreciation on others. Positive people tend to be more productive and yet pleasant to be around and when they need something, people seem to come running to assist them. Negative people can be productive, but not always pleasant about it and most people want to run away when they start calling for help! nnThink of building relationships like building your bank account. You opened your account by making a deposit. You had to do that before you could make a withdrawal. Unfortunately, too many times people just expect others to help them without first having made a deposit of trust in the relationship account. Or worse, they continue to take without ever giving back. This creates resentment and drains the relationship bond, basically puts your “bank account” into overdraft. Make appreciation deposits in all the relationships in your life and when you really need help, assistance or a favor, you can request a withdrawal, and you’ll have all the resources you need to overcome your challenge. nnAppreciation and thanks can be given to individuals or in a team setting. Keep in mind that some people adore public recognition while others might be uncomfortable by public attention and prefer something more low key and private. There are a number of ways to show your appreciation giving you options either way that I’ll list a bit later on. n nCan showing appreciation really make a difference?nnI find it sad that I hear discourtesy in the workplace is an increasing concern. Incivility in the office is growing, including an increase in bad manners, rudeness, vulgarity, gossip and general lack of respect. Research in 1999 at The University of North Carolina Business School determined that incivility in the workplace can impact company profits due to lost productivity and employee turnover. Their studies indicated the significance of this impact as follows: people who experience negative behavior on the job quit their jobs (12%), lose work time (52%), and deliberately decrease their work effort (22%). n nMost of us spend more time with our co-workers than with our family during the week. Your work environment should feel like your second home not because you spend so much time there, but because you feel safe, welcome and appreciated. Family does not have to be defined by your last name or address, more by the “feeling of family” with those around you. nnWe all want to feel like we belong, that we are part of something bigger. Your workplace is ideal for creating a warm, friendly community. The quality of the relationships employees have with their co-workers is the best place to start building it. Thanksgiving is a perfect time to enhance those work relationships. Ask employees to thank other team members for their contributions and to express appreciation that they are working together. nnEveryone wants to be recognized as individuals, shown appreciation, and be given opportunities for advancement and growth. The desire to expand is human nature. Here are a few ideas for motivating your staff that can have a big return on investment. nn• Encourage employees to thank one another in fun ways. n• Start a game of catching someone doing something right n for a change! But for a fun twist, assign points to n the person doing the catching vs. the doing. This will n create a habit of looking for what is working and going n well! n• Call an employee into your office, look them right in n the eye and just say thank you without discussing any n other issue. n• Hand-write a thank you card to your employees and n clients. Create an employee newsletter to share n updates and recognition. n• Designate an area for employees to post “I want to n acknowledge” cards for co-workers, and “I achieved” n cards for themselves. Read them at the next officen meeting. n• Celebrate birthdays, hire-date anniversaries, and n special achievements with dessert over lunch or perhaps n go out to lunch as a group. n• Add a note to an employee's paycheck highlighting n something great he/she did that week. You would be n amazed how this small private gesture can make someone n feel special. n• Create light-hearted awards that recognize something n unique about each person like, "Best New Idea," n or "Best Story Teller," and present them at a potluck n lunch. n• Pass on helpful articles that could benefit employees n and attach a note that says, "Saw this and thought of n you." n• Learn about their hobbies, families, children, pets, n etc. showing interest in what matters most to them. n• Ask an employee who is proficient in a certain area to n train others, or make a presentation at a staff n meeting. n• Book a motivational speaker to speak on subjects of n interest to employees like goal mapping, stress n management, team building and improving relationships, n etc. n• Help build skills with a training library filled with n books, tapes, and other resources that employees can n check out. Let them contribute suggestions that they n found helpful for their personal or professional growth n when building your library. They’ll be happy to n encourage other team members to utilize the library and n this leads to positive conversations about what they’ven learned. n• Allow and encourage employees to attend seminars and n ask them to make a presentation to others sharing what n they learned. nnGet back to the basics! Focus on how you can make your workplace a more pleasant, inspiring and FUN environment for all—bosses, employees, and customers. Acknowledge each person you meet with an open hand-shake, eye contact, a nod and a smile. nnIf you'd like to improve your company culture contact me nisler@youcanflycoaching.com for a private consultation. I'd be honored to assist you in building your workplace community into a thriving, positive environment! nnRecommended Books on today's topic: The Power of Appreciation in Business, Noelle C. Nelson, How Full Is Your Bucket?, Tom Rath, Whale Done, Ken Blanchardnn