Appreciation at Work: It Takes a System
When I co-wrote the first edition of The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace with Gary Chapman in 2011, I never imagined that it would sell more than 600,000 copies or be translated into 25 languages. Nor did I expect to see so many thought leaders and recognition companies talking about appreciation in their books and service offerings.
Indeed, the interest in appreciation is warranted. Appreciation is a powerful intrinsic motivator without which few people can sustainably perform at top levels. Unfortunately, the concept often gets caught up in the long list of platitudes about employee motivation that have, in fact, stood in the way of seriously addressing the low levels of engagement not only in the US but around the world, according to Gallup surveys.
The concept of appreciation faces two practical challenges: continued confusion about the definition and how to practically integrate appreciation into an organization’s culture. Appreciation often gets confused with recognition in a way that lessens its impact. And, while organizations often acknowledge its importance, they seem to have little idea how to make it part of their culture in a sustainable way. While appreciation is easy to implement at the grass roots level of almost any organization, to have a tangible impact a systematic approach is required.
Appreciation Is Not Recognition
The fundamental difference is simple and profound: Appreciation intrinsically inspires by expressing gratitude for who people are, not merely being based on performance and what they do. Recognition adds an element of extrinsic motivation because it generally focuses attention on a milestone or accomplishment and is accompanied with something tangible—a gift, plaque, token, etc.
Because it’s based on intrinsic motivation, appreciation must be individualized because not everyone feels appreciated in the same ways. Our research with Gary Chapman has broken appreciation into five basic categories:
- Words of affirmation. These can be verbal or written.
- Quality time. This means giving a colleague your undivided attention.
- Acts of service. Involves helping someone out with a task or obligation.
- Gifts. Must be selected carefully based on who they are given to.
- Physical touch. In the form of a high five, handshake, pat on the back, etc.
What that means is that if managers and colleagues approach appreciation in an ad hoc manner without some basic training and reinforcement, their attempt to express gratitude may be a waste of time and effort –or worse, backfire.
The Importance of Systems
When it comes to motivating people, one of the most frequent errors made is to take a simplistic, disconnected approach, such as launching an intermediary recognition or training program to address a short-term issue – rather than using a holistic approach not tied to the organization’s goals, values, and overall culture. The same is true of appreciation. It is not so much a program as a fundamental component of culture—how we treat one another in our organizations.
To tap into the intrinsic motivational impact of appreciation, individuals at all levels of the organization must be involved – managers, supervisors, and front-line employees. That means understanding one’s own preferred expression of appreciation and those of colleagues, as well as the most meaningful ways to express it. Most importantly, it requires ongoing reminders about the importance of expressing appreciation for the benefit of both personal satisfaction and engagement in the workplace. In fact, research indicates that an organization will achieve the best results if it encourages people to express appreciation, rather than focus on the receivers. (See RNN: IRF Academic Research: Thoughtful Design Required for Effective Recognition Results).
Under proper conditions, once people have learned the basic principles and conducted the assessments to learn their preferred language of appreciation, the process and purpose get reinforced through the platforms already being used in organizations goals, objectives, and values—all-hands-on-deck or planning meetings, wall posters, newsletters, etc.
Organizations using rewards and recognition technology platforms, especially those with communications, social walls, and learning components, can easily weave the five languages of appreciation into their platform. The key is to make sure that appreciation focuses on the people themselves so that it doesn’t get confused with recognition or incentive programs specifically designed to achieve performance goals.
Share this:
Categories 5 Languages of Appreciation, 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace, Appreciation, Managing By Appreciation, Recognition, Workplace Culture
