I recently facilitated a workshop at a leadership retreat for one of my clients. They wanted to work on strategies to engage and retain their talent, so we discussed The Five Language of Appreciation in the Workplace.

Here are some of the highlights and key concepts from our workshop:

Everyone Needs to Feel Appreciated

Typical employee recognition programs spotlight top performance.  However, appreciation programs take it a step further by acknowledging an employee’s value as a person. Everyone needs to feel valued, and a culture of appreciation creates an environment where all individuals are celebrated, even if you’re not a superstar.

Everyone Can Show Appreciation

It’s great when leaders show appreciation for members of their teams. It’s even better when everyone shows appreciation for the people around them – their peers, colleagues, subordinates, and bosses. See the first point above – everyone needs to feel appreciated. The more people express appreciation, the more appreciative your work environment will become – leading to a deeper commitment to your organization.

Appreciation Can Take Many Forms

There are five languages of appreciation, and everyone has a primary preferred language. Your appreciation will have more impact if you use their primary language. If you don’t know their primary language, try a variety of approaches until you identify which they respond to the best.

Words of Affirmation

Tell others what you appreciate about their accomplishments, character, or personality. This can be public or private, written or verbal. For example, “One of the things I admire about you is your optimism. I sometimes get discouraged, but when I talk with you, I always go away with a more positive perspective.”

Quality Time

Give a person your focused attention through quality conversations or activities together. For example, check in on someone just to see how they’re doing, or invite them to join you for lunch. Another idea – schedule open office hours and invite people to meet informally without an appointment.

Acts of Service

SHOW them you appreciate them by lending a hand. Ask how you can help with work projects or volunteer in other ways to help make their life a little easier. For example, “I’m headed out, and it looks like we got a lot of snow. Would you like for me to scrape your car off when I do mine?”

Tangible Gifts

Give a gift that the person values, showing you know the person. For example, bring them their favorite coffee, candy, lunch, etc. Or give them something with their favorite sports team logo on it.

Physical Touch

Use culturally accepted expressions, such as a handshake, high five, fist bump, or pat on the back. This language typically isn’t a primary language for anyone, but it can be combined with other languages. Notice how they respond – if they appear awkward, this is not one of their languages of appreciation at work.

As we wrap up 2021 and begin a new year, I challenge you to take your appreciation to the next level.

• Start NOTICING what you appreciate about the people around you.
• TAKE ACTION to express your appreciation, experimenting with the five languages.
• EXAMINE the impact this has on you and those around you. You will likely notice increased positivity and optimism, even during stressful times.

Wishing you the best!