Making Appreciation Meaningful

Our company recently celebrated its third anniversary. This year, we marked the occasion by extending well-deserved appreciation to our colleagues for their contributions to our success. We also launched a new global campaign featuring our colleagues that I look forward to sharing soon.

?Many studies have shown that appreciation and recognition have a positive impact on employee engagement; that employees who feel valued at work are more likely to contribute and stay with an organization; and, that they are happier, less stressed, and demonstrate greater resilience, too.

?Remember that last time you were in a tough project and yet had the feeling you could conquer the world because you felt appreciated and valued? That is what I mean. And that’s consistent with the feedback we receive from our colleagues at Corteva. We also see appreciation as playing an important role in fostering an environment of inclusion and belonging and that’s a high priority for us, too.

?In my experience, appreciation is most meaningful when it is genuine, individualized and conveyed in ways that matter to the person being recognized, whether formal or informal. When my team and I talk with our people leaders and team members about appreciation, here are some of the tips we share:

• ?Never underestimate the impact that a few kind words can have.
• Be as specific as possible, keeping both the “how” and the “what” in mind.
• Give appreciation its own moment. The impact of an impromptu phone call or visit just to say thank you or to congratulate someone on a job well done can be tremendous.
• Demonstrate curiosity about the work behind the achievement or accomplishment, with questions such as, “What was the hardest part?” or “What did you learn?” You may be surprised how much you will discover.
• Use small inexpensive tokens to make the appreciation memorable: a small hammer for someone who “nailed” a job, a handwritten card with an inspiring and related message. I cherish the small tokens I have received over the years, as they take me right back to that moment and the feeling I experienced.
• Remember, as a role model, the more you demonstrate expressing appreciation, the more you will inspire your teams to do the same!

?As Maya Angelou, the American poet, author and civil rights activist once said, “…people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

?That’s certainly been true for me. When I think about happy moments in my life, small acts of appreciation are often involved: the Mother’s Day cards from my kids, the Corteva water bottle a colleague gave me as a thank you, a note from a boss, a call from a friend, a colleague who stopped by my office. I smile whenever I think of moments such as these, even though some took place years ago, because in each instance, the individuals went out of their way to express appreciation in thoughtful, genuine and meaningful ways.

?I hope that you, too, will take the opportunity to express appreciation to others who are deserving of praise or need a little lift. Imagine the difference we could make if we all did this consistently!

?I’d welcome hearing from you about how you show appreciation towards others – or, equally as important, how you like to be appreciated yourself!