Take a moment to think about this scenario...
You are working with other co-workers on trying to land a large customer deal. It's a team effort, of course, but one of your co-workers really goes the extra mile and knocks it out of the park, by essentially closing the deal and making the sale. You are elated! You want to congratulate your co-worker for their extraordinary effort. But, what would be the best way to show your appreciation?
Just as people have unique thinking preferences, they also have unique ways in which they like to be appreciated for a job well done.
At work, people express and receive appreciation in different ways. If you try to express appreciation in ways that aren’t meaningful to your co-workers, they may not feel valued at all. This is because you and your co-workers are speaking different languages. So, how can you mitigate miscommunication and make sure that you are speaking the same language? Simple, just ask!
During a monthly company learning session, Herrmann employees took an online assessment that provided insight on The 5 Languages of Appreciation. Employees then shared their results with other co-workers and team members to bring transparency to the group. Lastly, each co-worker spoke to how their results correlated to their personal HBDI® profile score. The results demonstrated a correlation as the team explored in more depth how each of the four Whole Brain® Thinking modules corresponded to each of the 5 Languages of Appreciation.
The 5 Languages of Appreciation
Now, with the knowledge of each co-worker's appreciation preferences, our team members will be able to better show their appreciation by speaking the same language.
If we've learned anything from the pandemic it is that people need to feel a part of something, they need interaction and to know that their contribution matters and is valued.
Look at the “Great Resignation.” Many companies lost great talent because they didn’t take the time to let their employees know how important they were to the organization or project. Many employees realized that they could go someplace else, where they could feel like they belonged and that they mattered.
All co-workers should play a part in showing appreciation. One of the ways we can all help with making people feel like they matter is to let them know.
Appreciation can make someone’s day, week or month. Sincere thanks done in someone’s preferred preference will have a tangible effect on any organization. Productivity, employee satisfaction, and office morale tend to improve in corporate cultures where recognition is encouraged.
Use this blog post as your resource to examine how people within your organization like to be appreciated. Discuss thinking style preferences amongst your team members how they prefer to be appreciated. What correlations can you make between the two? Do you feel that team members that are relatively high in one quadrant prefer one language of appreciation versus another? Leave your comments below, as we'd love to get your feedback.