How to show you appreciate your colleagues

Today, 13^th November, is World Kindness Day, a celebration of kindness in society and day-to-day life.

At work, there are all sorts of ways we can show kindness. From the simple act of doing the tea run, to sending an email to thank every single person in the organization for their contribution.

At iOpener, we know from our research with 54,000 respondents in 131 countries, that demonstrating kindness by showing your appreciation for your team’s effort helps build happiness and enhance performance at work.

Appreciation is part of ‘Contribution’ in the 5 Cs of the Performance-Happiness Model™. To be happy at work, employees need to feel that the effort they make is worthwhile. They need to feel respected and appreciated, particularly by their leaders, to be motivated to deliver their best.

Appreciation also links closely to feedback. But where feedback is more task-orientated, appreciation is more person-orientated. Both are linked to Recognition, which delivers the combination of both feedback and appreciation in a public context.

How can you show you appreciate your team?

Saying ‘thank you’ is a good start, but there are other practical ways you can develop appreciation at work. Try this task.

Ask your team:

1. When do you as an individual feel most appreciated?
2. When do you as a team feel most appreciated?
3. How will you go about making sure that you and the team get appreciated?
4. What conversations do you need to have and with whom?
5. What are you prepared to share with the team right now?

Get your team to write down their answers and stick them on a wall so that everyone can see. The more transparent they are about their wants and needs, the more easily they can be met.

Embedding appreciation in everyday life

Exploring the concept of appreciation in the team is a great start. But to make a real impact you need to live and breathe it. Why not create a team appreciation barometer? Check in every day with where they are – personally and as a group.

At the end of each week, ask the team to share a moment when they felt appreciated by writing it down. Put all the responses in a container and ask team members to draw one at random and read it aloud. Sharing these positive experiences boosts optimistic mindsets and encourages future appreciation.