Feeling valued and respected at work supports and sustains our motivation to perform to the best of our abilities. When we know our contributions at work matter, we can develop a sense of ownership and identity in our work and generally feel more energized and engaged in what we are doing. Research on workplace appreciation supports this idea, repeatedly demonstrating that employees who feel consistently recognized and appreciated at work experience higher morale, increased productivity, greater engagement, stronger commitment, and improved retention (e.g., O’Flaherty et al., 2021; Zenger & Folkman, 2022). For these reasons, improving our appreciation for one another is a critical component to the ongoing Total Organizational Health (TOH@UTC) initiative. Showing appreciation for others is easier than it may seem. Unfortunately, most people tend to do this less frequently and consistently than necessary to make appreciation a key feature in our work environments. Read on to learn more about the importance of appreciation in the workplace, methods for showing appreciation, and how appreciation is directly connected to the TOH@UTC initiative.
What is appreciation?
At a deeper level, appreciation is something we show for and about others when we recognize their intrinsic worth beyond any single example of what they have accomplished or produced (Robbins, 2019). Here it is important to note that although closely related, recognition and appreciation are not exactly the same thing. Recognition focuses on what people have done, while appreciation focuses on who people are. This means that appreciating the people you interact with at work requires more than just giving positive feedback when a task is completed, or a performance goal is achieved. While it is important to praise and recognize outstanding performance, opportunities to do so may only arise occasionally. When building and sustaining a culture that protects and promotes worker health, safety, and well-being (the general objective for our TOH@UTC initiative), it is essential to more broadly and regularly acknowledge our appreciation for each other.
One of the main reasons for a lack of appreciation in the workplace is because people tend to mistakenly assume their coworkers and team members already know that they are appreciated (Gibson et al., 2020). Similarly, sometimes we overcomplicate the process of showing appreciation for coworkers and this can prevent us from expressing it altogether. Thankfully, research emphasizes that showing effective and meaningful appreciation is not difficult. Core features include being intentional and consistent in sharing words of gratitude that are also sincere, authentic, timely, and specific to each person’s strengths. Practicing these techniques can help you be an agent of appreciation within your workgroup. Consistently expressing appreciation and gratitude for others in this manner can also be rewarding for you directly (Zenger & Folkman, 2022).
Additional research highlights that showing appreciation can be done through behaviors in addition to words. Engaging in actions that demonstrate interest and respect for your coworker’s contributions, well-being, development, and life outside of work can also help them feel heard and understood. The key is to ensure your demonstrations of appreciation (verbal or otherwise) are consistent, thoughtful, and personalized, rather than generalized, irrelevant, overly frequent, or excessively sparse. People often become more comfortable and effective at expressing appreciation over time; the more you practice, the better you will become, and the more you will gain from the process (Zenger & Folkman, 2022).
How to effectively show appreciation at UTC
Generally effective methods of expressing appreciation include simply acknowledging the importance and value of your team members’ presence and efforts. A few more specific examples include:
- Greeting those with whom you work
- Noticing when a colleague is absent or distracted (and checking in to make sure they are ok)
- Asking others for their thoughts or ideas on a project
- Recognizing others’ tenacity (even when this does not lead to success)
- Helping coworkers to identify and make growth-oriented choices
- Celebrating each other’s wins within a workgroup
- Highlighting what we value about each other (through a personalized note, verbal acknowledgement, or workgroup sharing that acknowledges individual endeavors, creativity, or determination)
Efforts to show your appreciation for others will be more successful when you use language and methods that are meaningful to that person. Get to know your coworkers so that your genuine and personal words of appreciation can be heard as intended. Learning the goals and needs of your coworkers can also help you know what forms of appreciation are likely to be most meaningful for them. For example, your more reserved coworkers may prefer a private thank-you note instead of a public shout-out at the next meeting. In other words, strive to show appreciation for others in ways they will appreciate.
How appreciation fits into the TOH@UTC initiative
A central building block within the TOH@UTC initiative is Mattering at Work, which involves ensuring all UTC employees can see how what they do for the organization is important to helping UTC reach its overall goals. Showing more consistent and effective appreciation for each other is essential to this TOH-enhancing factor. Let’s go beyond empty exclamations of “Appreciate’cha!” and really work to express sincere appreciation for the people we work with and depend on each day.
Recommended reading and additional resources about workplace appreciation
- Gibson, K.R., O’Leary, K., & Weintraub, J.R. (2020, January 23). The little things that make employees feel appreciated. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2020/01/the-little-things-that-make-employees-feel-appreciated. This article includes different examples of how to appreciate people at work in a simple but effective manner.
- O’Flaherty, S., Sanders, M.T. & Whillans, A. (2021, March 29). Research: A little recognition can provide a big morale boost. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2021/03/research-a-little-recognition-can-provide-a-big-morale-boost. This article provides a preview of a series of studies on employee recognition, discussing what aspects make employees feel most valued by their organization.
- Robbins, M. (2019, November 12). Why employees need both recognition and appreciation. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2019/11/why-employees-need-both-recognition-and-appreciation. This author emphasizes the differences between recognition and appreciation and explains the importance of maintaining both.
- Zenger, J. & Folkman, J. (2022, September 12). Do you tell your employees you appreciate them? Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2022/09/do-you-tell-your-employees-you-appreciate-them. This piece stresses the value of employee appreciation and offers some methods on how to do so effectively.