Respect Others by Showing Appreciation

Expressing appreciation for the people you work with, communicating to them that they are valued members of the organization, helps them feel respected.  And not only that, it will help you to retain talent.  One of the number one reasons that people leave their job is because they don’t feel appreciated.

So how do you show people you appreciate them?  You can start by learning as much as you can about the people you work with.  Actively seeking information from them, by asking about their families or hobbies, shows people that you are interested in them.  Also, the more you learn about people the more likely it is that you will find something you have in common and discovering similarities strengthens relationships.  So try to have a short conversation with a different person each week to get to know everyone better.

Another way to show appreciation is by letting people know that you care about them.  Rejoice with them when they are joyful and express your sympathy when they are troubled.  If you know someone has been putting in extra effort on an important project, tell them you are aware that it has been a tough couple of weeks and you appreciate all of their hard work.

It is easier to appreciate people when you see them in terms of their strengths.  So before you meet with someone, actively think about his or her positive attributes.  Then make it a point to highlight one of them at the beginning of your conversation.  If you start conversations off on a positive note by expressing appreciation people will feel respected and will be more likely to engage in conversation and to listen to what you have to say.  The result will be a more open conversation with more sharing of information.

Do the people you work with know how much you appreciate them?  Are you sure?  Why not make sure by getting to know them better, by showing that you care, and by directly telling them what you appreciate about them.