{"id":23376,"date":"2022-05-02T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-05-02T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.appreciationatwork.com\/?p=23376"},"modified":"2022-05-02T08:58:08","modified_gmt":"2022-05-02T13:58:08","slug":"5-languages-spotlight-quality-time-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.appreciationatwork.com\/blog\/5-languages-spotlight-quality-time-3\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Languages Spotlight: Quality Time"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Many people assume that appreciation is always communicated verbally. While using words is<\/em> one way to show staff members that you value them, many employees prefer appreciation shown through the language of Quality Time. In fact, Quality Time is the preferred appreciation language for 26% of employees in the U.S. (or, one of every four of your <\/em>colleagues.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Quality Time,<\/em> we mean spending time with a colleague either by giving the person your focused attention, working collaboratively with them, or (for some people) just \u201changing out.\u201d You are showing that you value them by giving them your most precious resource: your time. We are not talking about simply being in physical proximity to another person. Many of us work closely with colleagues all day long, but at the end of the day we may feel that we didn\u2019t have any connection with them. Why? Because the key element of Quality Time is not proximity but personal attention.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual and Collaborative Experiences<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quality Time<\/em> was the language of appreciation that really forced us to consider how the languages of appreciation can differ in the specific actions individuals prefer. In part, this is because workplace quality time often falls into two categories, individual<\/em> and collegial.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual <\/strong>quality time often involves one-on-one time with a supervisor, leader or peer. An employee who values this type of time is looking for focused attention from their coworker. Frequently, they want to be able to share thoughts and observations, ask questions, and get input. This type of interaction is generally valued more by older generations of workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Collegial<\/strong> quality time centers more on spending time with colleagues, often doing activities together. This may include something as simple as hanging out together during lunch. Or when multiple employees work on a task together. Spending time together outside of work (for example, getting together to go to a local festival) is another variation. While these activities can include a supervisor or leader, often team members prefer to connect with one another without the supervisor involved. Younger generations<\/a>, especially Millennials, tend to favor these sorts of interactions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do\u2019s<\/em><\/strong> and Don\u2019ts<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are many settings in which managers and coworkers can express appreciation through Quality Time. Here are some of the different ways employees have said that they value spending time with both coworkers and supervisors:<\/p>\n\n\n\n