How Gatorade Revolutionized Football and What that Has to Do with Appreciation in the Workplace
Even if you’ve never watched the ESPN 30 for 30 episode on the invention of Gatorade, you are surely aware of the ever-present sports drink. But you may not be aware of the back story or the huge impact sports drinks have had on athletic performance.
The Gatorade Effect: From Exhaustion to Excellence
You see, back in the day, coaches had a tough guy approach to physical training. They would drive their players hard, testing the limits of their physical and mental endurance – often to the point of exhaustion, and even, hospitalization. In the 1950s and ‘60s, many athletic coaches were former military veterans who had undergone difficult physical training to prepare them for service in WWII, the Korean War, and the Viet Nam conflict. And their perspective was “We’re going to make ‘men’ out of you boys.”
But something interesting happened. In the 1960s, some coaches started to notice a pattern, especially in the heat and humidity of the Deep South. Their players would peter out during the second half of games. They were:
- Tired and lethargic
- Making mental errors
- Getting whooped by the other team
An assistant coach at the University of Florida (whose mascot is the ‘Gator’) asked a group of scientists at the university to think about and explore the issue. At first, they suggested that the team take more frequent water breaks during practices and drink more water during games. A logical suggestion. While this helped a little, no dramatic improvements were noticed in the players. The researchers then started experimenting with adding other chemical elements that were lost through perspiration – most notably sodium and electrolytes. Early on, the drink tasted terrible, and they had to force players to drink it (fortunately, they fixed that problem).
Over time and testing, they found that giving athletes liquids that also had the chemicals their bodies needed to perform made a tremendous difference in the individuals’ and team’s performance. And the rest is history. In 2024, sports drinks created over $12 billion in sales (Gatorade still holds 41% of the market share) and have improved the performance and health of millions of athletes in virtually every sport.
Even though progress has been made in other areas of training and preparation in athletics (and football, specifically) – through individualized training, motion studies, the ability to review plays through video, statistical analysis – the results of all of these efforts would have been limited without dealing with a core factor of being human: we need certain core components and inputs to function well.
The Business Parallel: Why Systems Alone Aren’t Enough
The history of modern business has had a similar pathway. Over the years, numerous procedural systems and inventions have significantly improved efficiency, including:
- Edward Deming’s Total Quality Management systems in the 1960s.
- The proliferation of Reward and Recognition programs throughout the late 20th century.
- The development of the computer and its data-processing power.
- More recently, Gino Wickman’s EOS systems and processes.
But a problem remains: people can only be driven so far, and so long, without getting the “inputs” they need to keep performing and producing. Because we are human. And regardless of the technologies we create, or the more efficient systems we design, people have foundational needs that have to be met if they are going to keep going – whether it is the electrolytes and fluids we need physically, or the emotional and social support required for us to persevere and overcome challenges at work.
The “Gatorade” of Business: Fueling Your Team with Authentic Appreciation
While reward and recognition systems had some impact, their effectiveness has declined over the past 12-15 years. This has left leaders desperate for solutions to high turnover, low employee engagement, and recruiting difficulties.
We now know the solution. The equivalent of Gatorade for employees is authentic, personal appreciation.
Companies are discovering that when their team members feel truly valued, good results follow. The key is feeling valued not just for your work, but for who you are as a person. This is truer than ever for Millennials and Gen Z, who have clearly shown they want to be:
- Seen as a person, not just a production unit.
- Known as an individual, not just the position they fill.
- Valued for who they are as a total person.
Business leaders who understand this and provide the tools for colleagues to show authentic appreciation are the ones who are building organizations that thrive. They are keeping their team members, staying connected with remote employees, and creating places where talented individuals want to work.
Leading companies are already on board. Organizations like NASA, the Mayo Clinics, PepsiCo, Caterpillar, and L’Oreal are using our Appreciation at Work resources to build healthy, positive workplace cultures.
Yes, you need quality management systems. And yes, AI will help you create effective products. But without your team members feeling valued, you won’t keep the employees you need to make your vision happen.
Build a Culture of Appreciation
- Start by learning what authentic appreciation looks like.
- Discover how your employees each want to be shown appreciation.
- Take them through the process of learning how to apply the concepts in their daily interactions.
Complete the process by helping them build the habits of showing appreciation to one another consistently.
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Categories 5 Languages of Appreciation, Appreciation, Workplace Culture
