A client recently shared how impressed he was with his team’s effort in thinking through a new strategy for their business. He articulated their creativity and commitment to building the best solution. I could feel his pride.
Then, I asked if he shared how he felt with his team. There was silence. At the end of that day, he sent an email expressing his appreciation for his team’s effort and how well they were doing. He also committed to letting them know in person.
This goes a long way towards making your team feel you care about them as people and not just for what they are able to deliver. In a high turnover, resource-stretched environment, people are more likely to stay if they feel seen and appreciated.
Recognition is a powerful motivator and inspires people to give their best. It also reinforces your leadership style and how you become known as a leader.
HIGHEST DRIVER OF ENGAGEMENT
According to a worldwide study conducted by Towers Watson in 2007-2008, the highest driver of engagement is whether employees feel their managers or leaders are interested in their wellbeing. Less than 40% of employees felt engaged.
Appreciating is simply recognizing what is good. It reinforces the fact that you care about them as a person. Appreciation should never be assumed.
I delivered a Personal Brand Mastery session to a leadership team that worked together for about seven years. I asked them to share something personal about themselves that others wouldn’t already know. I thought this would be challenging because they’ve known each other for so long. Much to my surprise, it wasn’t. They never really shared at a more personal level.
This simple exchange of sharing something personal opened a deeper level of appreciation and conversation within the group. They all became more animated and engaged as the day went on. This one exercise changed the dynamics of how the team worked together moving forward.
People want to be seen as a person and know others care.
NUMBERS MATTER
It bears mentioning that expressing appreciation once isn’t enough; it needs to be repeated to become a habit. Let’s say one of your personal brand descriptors (how you want to be known) is considerate. This label doesn’t stick if you hold the door open for someone once. It sticks if you are consistent in being considerate.
Appreciation needs to be extended consistently to have people know that you care. It can include small wins (showing up for the meeting on time) along with big wins (completing the project on time and under budget).
Looking to develop high performers? A ratio was discovered in a study conducted in 1999 by Marcial Losada, a Chilean psychologist and consultant. The magic ratio for high performance is five expressions of positive feedback to one expression of negative feedback.
Why aren’t we all expressing appreciation more often? Why does it sometimes feel awkward or forced?
The most obvious answer is we are not fluent in practicing appreciation. We have become so accustomed to speaking to what doesn’t work or addressing the problems that we stopped taking that one extra step to say thank you.
To help you incorporate appreciation into your daily activities, here are seven practical ideas you can implement as a leader to immediately create a higher level of engagement.
- Begin meetings by sharing accomplishments before tackling the to-do list and problems. Have everyone share what has gone well first. This will shift the energy for the balance of the meeting and have your team be more open to what comes next.
- Stay committed to your one-on-one meetings even when no problems are discussed. This time provides a great opportunity to talk about what the person is doing well and learn more about him/her personally. Honouring your meeting times makes employees feel valued. (The top frustration I hear from leaders is the cancellation of one-to-one meetings.)
- When a team member exceeds expectations, reach out to him/her and extend your appreciation. An email can work if you are not physically there, although in person is always more meaningful. What you appreciate grows.
- Repeat a private acknowledgment for a job well done publicly in a group setting when appropriate. This boosts self-esteem and confidence. It also reinforces the value and significance of the people you are acknowledging.
- When closing a meeting, express your appreciation for everyone’s commitment to the project and their contribution to moving it forward. A small gesture with a huge payback.
- When you notice positive changes in a colleague’s leadership style, let him/her know. Especially if you know they are attending training sessions or are engaged in coaching. Reinforcement creates sustainability.
- Ask others what they care about. If you find out they played in a tournament over the weekend or participated in a run for cancer, ask them about it. Genuine interest makes them feel cared about and frees them up to do their best work.
YOUR APPRECIATION CHALLENGE
Over the next thirty days, commit to expressing appreciation a minimum of five times a day. Notice what happens when you do this.
As you make it part of your daily practice, you’ll find yourself naturally doing it more often. When you focus on ways to express appreciation, the way you see the world changes.
Align yourself with what matters most to you. Live your brand fully expressed with intention and purpose to play bigger!
Are you interested in having a conversation to explore how you can define your personal brand and accelerate your growth as a leader, individually or as a team? Send an e-mail to book a complimentary 30-minute consultation.
