Appreciate Your People
Written by Marla Skibbins
As a coach and team effectiveness facilitator, I often have the opportunity to work with my clients around appreciation. Often my clients think if they have said “good job” or something along those lines, that they have “appreciated” the contributions of their team members or directs. I know from the decades of work that I have done with leaders that it is so much more effective to speak to and call out the person and who they are. When I say that often I get a puzzled look from my client or the team. One way to think about it is like this:
“What is the single most important behavior/characteristic/quality demonstrated by this person that contributes to the strength of our team?” *Patrick Lencioni’s “Overcoming the Dysfunctions of a Team Field Guide”
It is not about appreciating what the person did: a report done perfectly, a deadline hit, a sales goal surpassed. It is about the behavior/characteristics/quality that they are that had them do the thing. It is not about what they did, it is about how they behaved that got them to the result.
Let’s dig into this idea. We can take the example of someone achieving 110% of their sales goal in a volatile and difficult market. What quality/behavior/characteristic do you think they needed to achieve that 110%? We could imagine in that example they needed to have focus, determination, persistence, resilience, and ingenuity to do that. The appreciation is to call out to that person and who they are: “Wow! You achieved 110% of your goal…you are persistent, resilient, and ingenious!” Think about this for yourself. How does it feel to receive appreciation about the thing you got done vs who you were to get it done?
In your own work, you can reflect on your direct reports and on the things that they have accomplished. Unpack that further to see the quality/behavior/characteristics that went into their accomplishment. What behavior/characteristics/quality could you call out about each person that you really appreciate? Will you actually move forward with it? I promise you people are hungry to be seen in this way. They are hungry for it, and your being willing to give appreciation may make all the difference in how your team achieves its goals
Appreciation in the workplace is paramount for fostering a positive and productive environment. When employees feel genuinely valued and appreciated for their contributions, it not only boosts their morale but also enhances their sense of purpose and commitment to their work. This sense of recognition fuels motivation, leading to increased job satisfaction and higher levels of engagement. Appreciation encourages teamwork, as it reinforces the idea that each member's efforts are integral to the organization's success. Ultimately, a culture of appreciation not only promotes a harmonious workplace but also enhances employee retention and performance, making it a fundamental element for achieving success in any organization.