Why Appreciation Matters in the Workplace - Overcome Self-Doubt and Create a Positive Environment

As the leaders of your team, you have the power to create an environment that encourages growth, innovation and teamwork. By acknowledging and rewarding your employees for their hard work — as well as helping them identify areas for improvement — you can help strengthen employee engagement and build trust throughout your team. An appreciation culture is one of the most important ways you can build a supportive environment for your team. Here’s why:

Trust Is the Foundation of a Supportive Environment

Successful business relationships are built on trust: the belief that others value you enough to work with you. How do you build trust in the workplace? With consistent recognition and appreciation. When employees feel trusted and valued, they’re more likely to trust you with their strengths and weaknesses and are more likely to open up and be vulnerable with you. This increases the likelihood that they’ll identify areas for growth, and they’re more likely to accept feedback and initiative from others. Trust is also important for inspiring confidence.?

An employee who feels trusted is more likely to feel confident in their own abilities and be more likely to take initiative and contribute positively to the team. When employees feel trusted, they’re more likely to be self-confident and self-expressive.

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People Are More Likely to Be Self-Confident and Innovative

According to a study published in the Academy of Management Journal, low levels of trust in the workplace are linked to self-doubt and an overall negative mindset. This can lead to less confidence in taking initiative and speaking up for ideas, which inhibits creativity and innovation.

An appreciation culture can help reduce this self-doubt by boosting feelings of trust and self-confidence. One way to do this is with regular, low-key “micro-recognitions” — small gestures like handwritten notes or tokens of appreciation — which build trust and show your employees that you value them.

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Employees Are More Likely to Bring New Ideas When They Feel Comfortable Speaking Up

In order to achieve organizational goals, employees must feel comfortable speaking up with ideas and contributing to team initiatives.

That’s why you’re encouraged to identify areas for growth and create a “growth mindset” within your company. This mindset encourages employees to view their weaknesses as opportunities for growth and encourages them to take initiative and contribute positively to the team.

When employees feel comfortable speaking up and contributing positively, they’re more likely to identify areas for improvement and create a positive culture of growth.

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Create an Appreciation Culture Today

Because a growth mindset encourages employees to view their weaknesses as opportunities for growth, it’s important to create an appreciation culture.

Recognition and appreciation are two of the most effective ways to boost trust and build a supportive work environment.

The key is to incorporate these low-key gestures into your daily workflow. For example, make a point to acknowledge and thank each of your employees every day.

Constantly remind your team that they’re valued and important, and your appreciation will have more impact. You can also celebrate teams that achieve organizational goals, celebrate major milestones with team members, and create team events where employees can socialize and build relationships.

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Takeaway

Building trust with your team is essential to creating an environment where employees feel supported, confident and are motivated to contribute positively. You can build trust with consistent recognition and appreciation, as well as celebrations and events that bring your team together.

When your team trusts you, they’ll feel more confident in speaking up, identifying areas for growth and accepting and applying feedback.

When employees feel more confident and are more likely to contribute positively, everyone wins.

If you want to cultivate a more supportive and open culture, you have to start with yourself. Start by acknowledging and rewarding your employees for their hard work, and encourage them to identify areas for growth and create a positive culture of growth.

Now that you know, you can create an appreciation culture that will foster trust, collaboration and innovation