In my July 3rd blog post, I mentioned bosses who fail to recognize demanding work and employee achievements. In this post, I am addressing that topic in more detail.
On June 3rd of this year, I had the opportunity to attend a Common Pursuit event hosted by Kingdom Way Ministries in Loveland, Colorado. The speaker was Dr. Gary Chapman who was one of the co-authors of The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace.
Chapman quoted statistics reporting that feeling appreciated at work is one of the top indicators of job satisfaction. He also cited research stating that 79% of employees quit a job due to lack of appreciation.
In his presentation, Chapman referred to the five appreciation languages covered in the book:
- Words of affirmation – be genuine and specific; avoid generalities like “you rock!”
- Quality time – spend time with the troops and do not cop out with the excuse that you do not have time. Look at historical figures like Napolean, Churchill, Patton, and others who were busy but made a point to spend time with their people.
- Acts of service – where can you jump in and help someone overwhelmed with project work?
- Tangible gifts – things like gift cards, a frozen drink during the summer, a book, etc.
- Physical touch – this can make HR and the Legal department cringe, so your best bet is to buy Chapman’s book and see the author’s recommendations.
It is important to note that your appreciation language may not be the same language as everyone who works for you. Making that assumption could mark you as someone who is checked out and does not care for the troops.
Also, do not go down the path of saying, “They don’t want to be recognized.” Read The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace and you will gain a different perspective on that ill-informed statement.
What about you? How are you going to show appreciation for the people in your organization or is it a classified secret?
