As it Turns Out, Appreciation Actually DOES Go a Long Way

As you read the title of today's newsletter, did you smile? Did you nod your head in affirmation thinking "Yep, exactly!" or did you stop and ask yourself, "Am I appreciating my team the way I should?" or "Geeze, I am not appreciated at all." Maybe it was a mix of all these.

Appreciation is part of the “two-way street” that is so critical in the relationships between employees and leadership. On a two-way street, people listen to each other. They value each other and they recognize an individual’s accomplishments and give thanks for their day-to-day contributions. Yes- it is that important and as it turns out- it goes a long way. While the dynamic of the American workforce continues to change, one theme remains constant and that is, appreciation and the role it plays in engagement, longevity, and overall well-being. We have had 3 major revolutions in the United States workforce landscape and in those revolutions, the role of appreciation was also transformed:

1) The Industrial Revolution: People worked hard no matter what, despite unhealthy working conditions and a lack of appreciation and sometimes abusive employers. Appreciation took a back seat to necessity.

2) The Information Technology Revolution: People were exposed to information technology and new opportunities. Confidence was boosted and the need for appreciation became important. This is where employees began evaluating what options were better for them.

3) The Social Revolution: Nonstop exposure to all the good, bad, and ugly in corporate America. The need for pursuing what is best for oneself is at an all-time high and appreciation is more important now than ever.

So, how is appreciation demonstrated? There are two buckets. The first bucket is what I call the Nuts & Bolts Bucket which includes:

• Competitive pay
• Timely raises
• Realistic performance reviews
• Upward mobility
• Tangible opportunity to grow
• Maintaining a culture of ethics and integrity from the top down
• Walk the walk and talk the talk
• Meeting team members in the middle with flexibility

The second bucket, which is equally if not more important than the Nuts & Bolts Bucket is the Common Sense Bucket (ooohh, ahhhhh!) This bucket is appreciation and all that runs parallel to it which includes:

• Recognizing and acknowledging when someone does a good job
• Saying "thank you" when someone is doing their job- yes, their job. There does not have to be an extraordinary accomplishment to say thank you
• Responding to emails- if you expect a timely response from your team, it is common courtesy to respond to their emails as well
• Listen to their wants and needs
• Check on your team without asking for something in return
• Take notice of, and care about the parts of their personal life that they choose to share
• Sometimes, for no reason at all, telling someone you appreciate them and meaning it
• Truly having a pulse on what your team is doing/working on and highlighting it

In personal and professional situations, people inherently stay with and thrive in dynamics where they feel appreciated, understood, validated, and important. As thousands of companies analyze what retains people and what drives them away, I would suggest using common sense and the principles of human dignity. It is as simple as asking someone on your team if they are happy, if they feel like you care about them and their career and being brave enough to ask what you can do differently. The answers may surprise you and whatever those answers are, be prepared to provide real solutions.

I challenge you today to take a step back to appreciate what it takes to keep business moving- it is the people on your team. Appreciate them through your actions and words; it really does go a long way.?