Why do companies lose people?
In a recent online presentation, Dr. Paul White cited research indicating that for 78 or 79% of people who quit a company, “lack of appreciation” is a top reason. An off-the-top-of-your-head think would probably lead you to one conclusion he presented: among companies that don’t appreciate, many have some kind of appreciation program, like an employee-of-the-month or “Dundies” or that ilk. It’s just not perceived as genuine appreciative so, ironically, it’s not so appreciated.
Dr. White offers four (4) handy hints for workplace appreciation. People feel appreciated IF:1 it’s communicated regularly2 it’s expressed in language relevant to the recipient3 it’s individualized and delivered personally (i.e. not just a giftcard, but one the recipient would enjoy using)4 it’s viewed as authentic
Dr. Paul White is the co-author The 5 Languages of Appreciation In The Workplace with Dr. Gary Chapman and presented these 5 languages*:1 Words of Affirmation2 Acts of Service3 Tangible Gifts4 Quality Time5 Physical Touch*not totally sure if there’s a preferred order, this was kind of reading it from the Appreciation At Work website.
If these sound familiar, it’s because Appreciation At Work is co-authored by Gary Chapman, the guy who brought us the 5 Love Languages (slightly different: Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service, and Physical Touch).
A friend of mine suggested that you get the main idea of the 5 Love Languages by just knowing what the 5 Languages are. I actually read that book but tend to agree. And I’d hazard a guess that the 5 Languages of Workplace Appreciation are likely in the same boat.
The main takeaway of the whole idea, to me, is simply to give appreciation some thought when you do it, if it’s what you do. Multiplied over however many people you’re dealing with, or with staff very different from you (think introvert vs extrovert), and it can be hard work. Like love is. And like love, any given moment might not seem like it pays off, but we trust it does in the long run. There’s likely a lesson about appreciation (aka love) there beyond just the workplace.
Oh, I came across these cute freebie office tools on the book website too…
