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Measuring Appreciation

How Do You Know If What You Are Doing Is Working? A key issue for the world of employee recognition and employee engagement is the question: How do you know if what you are doing is having any impact? Organizational leaders are saying: “We are spending all of this money on employee recognition and rewards, yet employee engagement continues to be low. Why should we continue to invest our time, energy, and financial resources when what we are doing doesn’t seem to make a difference?” It’s a reasonable question. The answer? Measure the desired behaviors and outcomes. Years of research show... Continue reading...

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February 19, 2024 10:24 am
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How to Get Past the Most Common Challenges to Creating a Culture of Appreciation

While creating a workplace culture of appreciation is fairly straightforward, a number of practical challenges also exist. Research has shown that teaching leaders and colleagues how to communicate authentic appreciation to one another can make their workplaces more positive. And the impact has been demonstrated in medical settings, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, schools, multinational corporations, financial institutions and manufacturing firms. (Read the recent New York Times business section article* on the 5 languages of appreciation.) But, like trying to implement any change, obstacles can arise. After working with numerous organizations to implement the 5 languages of appreciation, we noticed some... Continue reading...

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March 14, 2022 5:35 pm
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The Intersection Between Emotional Intelligence and Employee Appreciation

Emotional Intelligence is a big deal, and a lot of people across all fields have recognized its importance. Daniel Goleman labeled it the sine quo non of leadership. Travis Bradberry found high levels of emotional intelligence in 90% of top performers across a variety of industries. Actor David Caruso called emotional intelligence the “intersection” of head and heart. Jack Welch said that emotional intelligence was more important than book smarts in the making of a leader. Emotional intelligence describes a person’s ability to recognize, manage, and influence emotions in themselves and other people. It is the skill you use to... Continue reading...

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March 16, 2020 9:00 am
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How Do Most People Want to Be Shown Appreciation? Update from 175,000 Employees

Not long ago (2017), we published a research study on how 100,000 employees preferred to be shown appreciation by their colleagues and supervisors.  Based on the concepts presented in The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace, the foundational principle that not everyone feels appreciated in the same ways was affirmed. Recently, we have had inquiries if the frequencies of desired appreciation languages have remained the same or if the additional individuals taking the inventory more recently prefer different ways to be shown appreciation.  So we did a quick update on the data from those who have taken the Motivating By Appreciation Inventory. Here is... Continue reading...

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March 21, 2019 5:57 pm
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How to Deal with Decisions about March Madness in the Workplace

Every Spring a national event captures the attention of millions of employees: the NCAA “March Madness” basketball tournaments. Individuals who are die-hard basketball fans, those who may follow their local college team when they are doing well, and people who just like to pick teams according to their mascots – all become intrigued and involved in following the games. Understanding March Madness While “March Madness” is typically referred to as a singular event, those familiar with the tournaments know that they actually are a series of games and regional tournaments over a three-week period. The process begins with “Selection Sunday”... Continue reading...

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March 18, 2019 9:00 am
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Are You Too Busy To Learn How To Overcome Busyness?

A change in perspective can make a difference Are you tired – mentally, emotionally (& physically)? Do you have more to do than you have time & energy? Are you overwhelmed in trying to manage all of your emails, texts, & voicemails? I’d bet you also are behind in reading all of the blogs, articles, and books that you feel you should. You probably feel overwhelmed and discouraged. Or just worn out. Welcome to the Busyness Club. I feel that way too. Your team members do. And so do your clients. A Personal Story… I grew up in a conservative... Continue reading...

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October 1, 2018 9:47 am
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7 Signs You Work With a Toxic Achiever and How to Cope

Toxic achievers pose a serious dilemma for business owners, managers, and supervisors. On the one hand, they get the job done — quickly, and more successfully than their peers. So, their work production or sales numbers look great. But, on the other hand, they create major headaches due to the way they relate to others, their negative conflictual attitude, and their propensity to frequently want “exceptions” to company policies and procedures. Signs To Look For How do you know if one of your team members is a toxic achiever, or just a pretty good producer who can be irritating to... Continue reading...

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February 19, 2018 8:52 am
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What Employees Hate About the Holidays (Poll Results)

Two years ago (2015), in response to a number of negative comments we had received from people regarding the upcoming holidays, we sent out a survey to our e-newsletter subscribers to find out what employees don’t like about the holidays. That year over 1,200 of our readers completed our survey. The results were interesting and found their way into a number of media articles (TV, radio, print). Given that we now have significantly more newsletter subscribers (over 100,000!), and it is two years later, we thought it would be good to revisit the issue. Just before Thanksgiving (2017) we asked... Continue reading...

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November 30, 2017 11:01 am
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Hurricane Harvey – 5 Potential Reasons Why We Don’t Respond (& How to Get Past Them)

The devastation of Hurricane Harvey is massive — and is evident in numerous ways: water damage to homes and businesses, loss of personal belongings, displaced individuals and families, 300,000+ cars left unusable, businesses not able to do business, schools shut down, nursing home residents moved… the list goes on and on. Unfortunately, the sheer size and impact of Harvey actually creates some dynamics that makes it more likely that people (including you and me) won’t respond to the vast needs created. How can that be? Why would we be less likely to give some form of aid (monetary aid, donations... Continue reading...

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September 5, 2017 1:15 pm
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Early Warning Signs of a Toxic, Sexist Workplace (like Apple?)

Apple has recently come under bombastic attacks as a result of recently leaked emails describing a less-than-healthy work environment.   The behaviors described almost seem from an era from the last millennia, rather than in a company that has been viewed as a leader into the 21st century. Outsiders may wonder: Are these reports really true?  How could these types of attitudes grow and exist in the context of progressive, well-educated professionals working together? The answers? Probably, and easily.  Just like mold can grow rampantly in a high tech, green, newly constructed physical work space (when the conditions exist and continue... Continue reading...

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September 27, 2016 3:18 pm
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Do You Have a Colleague Who is Easily Offended?

Not everyone feels appreciated in the same way. The more often we communicate appreciation in the ‘language’ and specific actions preferred by our colleagues, the more likely we are to ‘hit the mark’ in truly encouraging them and helping them feel valued. As we have trained thousands of employees in the concepts of authentic appreciation (both directly and through our Appreciation at Work Certified Facilitators) we have found that: A person’s primary language of appreciation is often the language in which they are most easily offended! So if you have a colleague or supervisor who seems to get upset easily... Continue reading...

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July 23, 2016 12:23 pm
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An Antidote For Disengagement: Being Appreciative For Your Job

Gallup reported on January 13 that only 32% of U.S. employees are actively engaged in their work from a mental, emotional and volitional (a choice of the will) point of view.  Conversely, 50.8% of employees were found to be “not engaged” and 17.2% are “actively disengaged”.  This latter group is a dangerous one — they are actually actively working at cross-purposes with their employer, doing things to make things worse in their workplace. Much of the blame for this sad state in our work environments is being placed fully and solely on the shoulders of supervisors, managers and employers, a position... Continue reading...

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January 28, 2016 9:48 am
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Don’t Forget—People are People, Not Machines or Rats in a Maze

Recently, I had the privilege to meet and listen to Ginger Hardage, Senior Vice President of Culture and Communications for Southwest Airlines. (I happened to be the morning keynote speaker and she was the afternoon keynote speaker.) One phrase used to describe Southwest Airlines was that they were “in the customer service business and just happened to use airplanes to help people get where they want.” Ginger’s presentation was a refreshing reminder that truly successful enterprises understand that their primary calling is to serve the customer and, that by doing so, they will be profitable.   (As opposed to the seemingly... Continue reading...

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January 17, 2016 2:50 pm
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Creating New Family Traditions Around the Holidays

A “new tradition” is sort of an oxymoron. By definition, (“a long-established, inherited way of thinking or acting”), a tradition is some action that you have been doing for a while. But I believe it is both possible and helpful to intentionally create new traditions for your family. We need to recognize that families go through a variety of life stages, with different needs at each stage. And the demands and parameters of daily life vary significantly. It is hard to imagine a family tradition that could survive and be really appropriate for family members across all life stages (with the possible exception... Continue reading...

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December 10, 2014 7:00 am
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The Proof Is In The Profits

May 2013:  “Treating people well and authentically respecting them does lead to far better business performance. We proved it works.” -Jerome Dodson Dodson is the founder of Parnassus Investments. He was recently featured in a Fast Company article entitled, “The Proof Is In The Profits: America’s Happiest Companies Make More Money.”

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May 9, 2013 11:25 am
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Recognition Programs Target Engagement

January 2013:  More than 80 percent of respondents to the Fall 2012 SHRM/Globoforce survey said that their recognition program had a positive impact on employee engagement. Seventy-two percent of respondents said that their recognition program helped the organization instill and reinforce corporate values, and 54 percent said it helped them retain employees. When employees were asked if they would leave their current job for a company that recognized employees for their efforts, 55 percent said they would. Moreover, Globoforce found that nearly 31 percent of employees said that they had left an employer previously for that reason.  

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January 15, 2013 3:20 pm
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Getting Beyond Money

October 2012:  Research indicates an increasing focus on non-cash rewards and recognition in motivating employees. The McKinsey Group’s research found that more than 50% of executives surveyed believed intangible rewards were effective at increasing productivity. Over 65% of the companies surveyed reported they had formal recognition and non-cash reward programs. Almost 70% reported that they found Gift Cards to be either extremely effective or effective at increasing employee engagement with their employees. And 60% reported that intangibles like time off or reserved parking spaces were also effective in increasing engagement.

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October 29, 2012 12:51 pm
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Fund An Entrepreneur

September 2012:  New Joint Venture with World Vision. Support a Third World Entrepreneur by donating money for a loan and receive a FREE copy of the 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace, along with a mailer and postcard which allows the book to be sent to others. Go to www.worldvisionmicro.org/5languages for more information.

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October 2, 2012 9:38 am
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Why Appreciation Matters

February 2012: Harvard Business Review online discussion affirms the importance of appreciation in the workplace.  “According to research, the single highest driver of engagement is whether or not workers feel their managers are genuinely interested in their wellbeing. Feeling genuinely appreciated lifts people up, it makes us feel safe, and it’s energizing—all of which is what frees us to do our best work.”

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February 21, 2012 1:38 pm
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What Motivates Employees?

November 2011: “Being treated with respect” was the top characteristic identified for U.S. & Canadian workers of what motivates them and makes them feel engaged at work, according to a report just released in Mercer’s October 2011 What’s Working survey report. Click here to see the full list of factors that influence motivation and engagement at work globally.

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November 1, 2011 12:21 pm
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Key to Motivating Employees

September 2011: The key to motivating and engaging employees is to demonstrate how much a company cares according to 78% of human resources executives surveyed by Harvard Business Review Analytic services. Source: The New Employee Relationship, Unum 2011 – http://bit.ly/nsanNd (PDF).  

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September 28, 2011 9:54 am
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Employees In Search Of A Caring Company

September 2011: 87% of job hunters said it’s very important to work for a company that cares about their well-being according to a recent study by Monster.com. Rated higher than job security and a high base salary, many job seekers find this characteristic in a potential employer very enticing.  

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September 16, 2011 11:04 am
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American Workforce is Less Engaged

September 2011: Only 7% of employees believe senior management’s actions are consistent with their words. According to the 2011 Employee Engagement Poll by Maritz Research found that the American workforce is less engaged with its employers than it was in 2010. Only 12% of the respondents report believing their employer genuinely listens to and cares about its employees.

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September 13, 2011 3:37 pm
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Friendly Workplace Linked to Longer Life

August 2011: “Friendly workplace linked to longer life” says a report cited by the NY Times.  Researchers have found that people who felt they had the support of their colleagues and generally positive social interactions at work were more likely to live longer than peers who felt they didn’t have emotional support in the workplace.  

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August 29, 2011 1:16 pm
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The Care and Feeding of High-Potential Employees

August 2011: Companies are losing high-potential employees at an alarming rate.  Research by the Corporate Leadership Council found that 25% of high potential employees plan to change jobs within the next 12 months (at a rate 2 ½ times five years ago).  Researchers are finding “a huge divide between what employers think motivates high-potentials and what actually motivates them”.  One CEO interviewed stated, “The single biggest factor in retention is whether people feel valued”.  

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August 2, 2011 8:18 pm
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5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace — Released Today!

www.appreciationatwork.comFriends, I am excited that the book project I have been working on with Dr. Gary Chapman for the past 4+ years is fully released to the public today. It is available at www.amazon.com , www.bn.com (Barnes & Noble), www.booksamillion.com, www.christianbook.com and you can also go to bookstores and it should be there (it should be a “front table” display at Barnes & Noble.) In addition to the hardback version, there are also e-book versions (for Kindle & Nook), an audiobook version, and the Spanish version is coming out soon. I am going to be unabashedly mercenary here and ask... Continue reading...

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August 1, 2011 1:10 am
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Employee Recognition

July 2011: Employee recognition isn’t working well.   A recent study published found that 80% of the companies studied have employee recognition programs, but only 31% of the employees are perceived to be satisfied with the recognition they are receiving.   Possible reason?  The #1 reason for employee recognition was length of employment while doing one’s regular work at a high quality level is a reason for recognition only 9% of the time.

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July 21, 2011 3:37 pm
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