Close your eyes for a minute and visualize an important person in your life—your wife, husband, son, daughter, boss, coach, etc. Picture their face and hear their voice as they speak these words:
“I just want to take a minute to tell you how much I appreciate you and what you do. I don’t say it enough, but I think it every day. I’m so thankful that you’re in my life…”
How did that feel? Unless you have ice running through your veins, it felt wonderful. In fact, it felt so wonderful that you’ll replay those words tonight before you fall asleep. You’ll remember those words again and again, maybe hundreds of times over the course of your lifetime. You may remember those sweet words one last time before you draw your final breath. There is power in appreciation.
Appreciation must be sincere for it to be meaningful. Shallow, untrue or fake appreciation might do more harm than good. But honest, sincere, heartfelt appreciation will change lives.
One of the greatest things about appreciation is it’s free. There’s no cost to you personally or to the organization. In addition, it takes almost no preparation to deliver, if it’s heartfelt. It will just flow from within you. All you have to do is be willing to express it.
Interestingly enough, one of the most common reasons for employee dissatisfaction is the lack of expressed appreciation. Not money, benefits, hours or any of the other things you’d think matter the most to people. People are human, and humans crave to know someone cares about them and that what they’re doing matters. Appreciation is powerful.
Think about the people who are closest to you. When was the last time you expressed appreciation for them and for what they are doing for the organization? What’s preventing you from showing appreciation, if anything?
Now go forth.
