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Presented by Lisa Bishop
Do you express genuine appreciation for others? I am examining 5 habits of an extraordinary leader. And today is the fourth habit: show appreciation.
Gary Chapman’s book The Five Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace shares a statistic that 65% of North Americans reported they had not received recognition or appreciation at their workplace in the past year. And while 51% of managers believe they do a good job of recognizing employees for work well done, only 17% of employees believe their manager actually does a good job of recognizing them[1]. Clearly, something is off!
Data shows 79% of employees will quit their jobs due to a lack of appreciation (Zippia.com), while employees who feel valued are motivated to do their best work[2].
How regularly do you show appreciation in the workplace? It’s been said encouragement is oxygen to the soul.
Just as every person has inherent value, every human being has a desire (whether they will admit it or not) to feel valued and appreciated; it’s one of the deepest and most basic human needs. While it’s been proven there is a bottom-line benefit to organizations for fostering a gratitude culture in the workplace, the buck doesn’t stop there. As a leader, and especially as a follower of Jesus, you are entrusted with tapping into the potential of the people in your care, helping them unleash their gifts and talents. This is a different mentality than, “Just do your job.” You have a high calling for cultivating a work environment that is built on an attitude of trust and to inspire and not to embrace the old “command and control” mindset.
How can you genuinely show appreciation? Don’t just show gratitude for what people do, show appreciation for who they are. Be specific, rather than general, saying “Hey, good job on that project,” doesn’t point out what you specifically valued. Instead, it might sound something like this. “Hey Jim, I just wanted to say I really appreciated your attention to detail on the presentation last week. You do your work with excellence, and you bring a lot of heart and passion to the team.”
When showing appreciation, go beyond pointing out a person’s performance to acknowledging their intrinsic value too.
Dr. Paul White says, “Even the hardest heart will soften and respond to a freely given ‘cup of water’ of appreciation—reviving their spirit and creating new growth.”
How will you make showing genuine appreciation a leadership habit in your life? Who is someone in your workplace you will encourage this week?
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[1] Chapman, G. D., White, P. E., & White, P. (2012). The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace: Empowering Organizations by Encouraging People. Northfield Publishing.
[2] Kizer, K. (2023, June 29). 35+ powerful leadership statistics [2023]: Things all aspiring leaders should know. Zippia. https://www.zippia.com/advice/leadership-statistics/