Your Appreciation Plan

In my last two blogs, I explained what appreciation is, and why it is important. This final blog is about strategies to incorporate into your appreciation plan. The results of my Team Work survey showed that appreciation is the top factor for keeping employees engaged. Most people place more emphasis on recognition and appreciation, versus what they are paid. Take a look at these statistics regarding what employees are saying and what managers believe about their efforts towards showing appreciation; there is a definite disconnect. 

•  “65% of North Americans report that they received no recognition or no appreciation at their workplace in the past year.” 
•   Yet, “51% of managers believe they do a good job of recognizing employees for work well done. 
•   But, only “17% of employees believe their manager does a good job of recognizing employees”

It’s clear that to excel in your role as a leader, you need to stimulate your employees’ talents and productive strengths by showing appreciation at the individual level.

People feel appreciated in different ways, so you’ll need to tailor your approach to what resonates with each person.

You may be wondering, what does that look like?

Here are some of the ways to consider:

1) Words of affirmation (46% value this method)

• Express what you value about the person
• Say the name, verbalize what they have done, and express why it was important
• Be specific! Generalities like “Good job” or “Thank you” without telling them why makes it superficial and most people discard it

2) Quality time (26% value this method)

• People are preferring time with their peers over time with their supervisors
• Find out what people prefer and flex to meet that

3) Acts of service (22% value this method)

•   Helping with things that free up time for others
•  People who value this over words

4) Tangible gifts (6% value this method)

•  Give a gift that the person likes
• Get something personalized with their name

Remember that, “Appreciation flows in every direction.” Meaning that other employees can help other peers feel valued and appreciated. So, it is important to encourage this throughout your organization.

This wraps up the Appreciation section. The next blog will dive into the next factor from the survey, “Company Culture”. In the meantime, remember that if you have any issues with hiring, retaining, or engaging employees you are welcome to contact me at [email protected] for advice or suggestions. You can even schedule a quick call with me at https://coachdale.com/sch-inquiry.

Coach Dale

[email protected]

Source: Appreciation in the workplace - Dr. Paul White