Appreciation is a powerful tool for leaders and their teams. It can be used to build stronger connections, motivate people, and create positive change. In this post, you’ll learn about why it’s important for teams to be appreciative of each other, how to give praise effectively, and more.
Why Appreciation Matters
Appreciation is a critical part of your organization’s success. There are many reasons why appreciation matters, but here are some of the most important:
- Employee engagement is critical for any business that wants to grow and thrive in today’s economy. Appreciation is one way you can increase employee engagement by helping your employees feel valued and appreciated by their managers, peers and leaders.
- Appreciative work environments lead to higher job satisfaction and lower turnover rates among employees who feel appreciated at work than those who don’t receive recognition from supervisors or coworkers (Gallup).
- A study published in the Journal of Organizational Behavior found that when employees felt appreciated by their supervisors during their first year on the job, they were more likely than other new hires who didn’t receive recognition from bosses during this time period (Dacin & Kuranoff).
The Emotion of Appreciation
How does appreciation make you feel?
Appreciation is different from praise, which typically focuses more on telling someone what they did right. It also differs from recognition (i.e., giving someone public acknowledgement for their contributions). Appreciation goes deeper than rewards and incentives because it’s not just about giving something tangible in return; it’s about being genuinely thankful for someone’s efforts and showing them how much they matter to you and your company.
Why Peer Recognition is Valuable to Leaders and Teams
Guide to Peer Recognition is an important part of employee engagement. When employees feel appreciated and valued at work, they’re more likely to be motivated, engaged and loyal. In fact, one study found that peer recognition is more effective than any other type of reward or incentive when it comes to driving employee performance.
But peer recognition isn’t just valuable for employees–it can also help leaders feel valued as well! Leaders who receive regular feedback from their teams tend to be happier in their roles overall (and thus better equipped with the tools necessary for success).
What is Appreciation?
Appreciation is a form of praise. It’s not a one-size-fits-all practice, but rather an opportunity to show that you care about your employees and colleagues. Appreciation can be used to motivate and inspire people, which will make them feel more valued and connected to their work environment.
Why Do We Praise Others?
We praise others for a variety of reasons. We do it to make them feel good, motivate them and encourage them, build relationships and show respect. But what’s really going on in the brain when we give praise?
3 Types of Praise for Employees and Teams
There are three different types of praise you can use to recognize your employees and teams. They are:
- Recognition
- Rewards
- Combinations of recognition and reward
How to Give Effective Praise
When it comes to giving praise, there are some key things to keep in mind:
- Be specific. If you’re going to give someone a compliment, make sure it’s clear exactly what they did that was praiseworthy. Saying “You’re great!” or “You did well” doesn’t give them any information about what they did that was so great or so good–and therefore doesn’t help them improve their performance next time around.
- Be sincere. Your praise should come from the heart; if it feels like false flattery and makes you feel uncomfortable, then don’t do it! You’ll know if your compliments are genuine because they will come easily and naturally (and even make you feel good).
- Be timely–but also consistent over time. Giving regular positive feedback throughout an employee’s tenure at the company helps build up their confidence over time; one-off praise won’t have as much impact because there are no ongoing messages about their value as an employee or team member being conveyed regularly through these interactions
Appreciation should be a key part of any team’s culture.
Appreciation is a powerful motivator. It builds trust, improves team morale and helps employees feel valued. When people feel heard, understood and respected, they’re more invested in their work–and happier at work overall.
We all know that appreciation is important; but how can you be sure you’re doing it right? In this guide we’ll cover everything from why appreciation is so powerful to how to create an environment where your team members receive praise regularly without feeling like it’s being forced upon them (or even worse: forced upon someone else).
Conclusion
Our hope is that this article has given you a better understanding of how important peer recognition is for teams and leaders. We believe that it can make a huge difference in the workplace, so we encourage you to try some of these tips out with your team today!
