Appreciate: Celebrating People, Inspiring Greatness

On the flip side, a lack of appreciation has a detrimental effect on productivity, innovation and engagement. Think how you'd feel if your managers seemed unaware of your great work ethic, or made it clear that, in their opinion, a paycheck is reward enough even when you've gone the extra mile. Eventually, even the most enthusiastic worker might scale back to doing exactly what's required and no more. And that's no good for business. Nowadays organizations, and the individuals within them, need to be creative and innovative in order to flourish. Just doing "enough" can be fatal.

"Appreciate" is for anyone who wants to boost their leadership skills, or who's just taken on the role of leader. By explaining how, what, and when to appreciate, the book gives readers tools that will help their organizations thrive. Although aimed at leaders, it's a great read for any employee who wants to make a difference at work.

The authors have a wealth of expertise to share. David Sturt is the author of the New York Times bestseller "Great Work," while Todd Nordstrom, host of the popular podcast "Great Work Insights," is a sought-after interviewer and speaker. Kevin Ames speaks regularly on personal and professional development, and Gary Beckstrand is an expert in marketing and business improvement, managing well-known brands such as Kellogg's, Frito-Lay and Franklin Covey.

All four authors work for the business consultation firm O.C. Tanner, which is also the publisher of this book. This could have turned the book into little more than a marketing tool. But although it relies heavily on research by the company, "Appreciate" comes across as independent. It's a useful collection of genuinely expert advice.

So keep listening to learn which leadership behaviors create great work, why encouraging your team to value failure is crucial to success, and how giving recognition is better than receiving it.

The book unfolds in a logical order, so it's best to read the chapters as they're presented. The introduction gives us insight into how even one word of recognition can influence us for a lifetime. The following chapters explain how we're all touched by appreciation – or lack of it – and how good leaders can and should recognize people for their qualities and achievements. The book closes with inspiring and moving stories that illustrate the power of recognition.

So, let's look more closely at what we mean by "appreciation," and the impact it can have on outcomes, creativity, relationships, and individual well-being.

Chapter One, titled "It's Universal," lists tangible symbols of human appreciation, going right back to early cave paintings that celebrated a hunter's ability to capture prey. From soccer cups to the Nobel Prize, we all recognize and are moved by accomplishments that inspire us or benefit others. This involuntary response is appreciation – and the authors say it's difficult to fake or force.

They make an important distinction between appreciation and recognition. Appreciation is the feeling we get when we see the value of someone, whether it's their ability to stay calm in a difficult situation or the extra effort they've made to land a new client. Recognition is the act of expressing our appreciation in words or deeds.

Leaders need to be skilled at identifying acts and characteristics worthy of appreciation, and then giving appropriate recognition.

The authors cite research by the O.C. Tanner Institute and Towers Watson, which surveyed employees in 13 countries to assess the role of appreciation in engagement. They found that in organizations where appreciation and recognition were strong, employees' engagement was two to three times higher than in companies where they were weak. In the healthcare sector, centers with high recognition scores had fewer incidences of infections. The section makes a compelling case for the benefits of practicing appreciation and recognition.

When managers express gratitude, it connects them to their team. It helps people overcome their doubts, and motivates them to keep improving.

However, a prerequisite for appreciation is the belief that employees want to do their best work – most people come to work keen to make a difference and develop personally. Leaders need to understand this and give individuals freedom to reach goals in their own way, rather than turning them into clones.

Leaders also need to provide the right conditions for people to demonstrate their expertise, knowledge and qualities. You can do this by inviting personal expression, listening carefully, identifying team members' unique skills, and removing obstacles that may hinder people from achieving their potential. This will help unleash a profusion of ideas, innovation, and effort that can be appreciated and recognized.

Determining what to recognize is the leader's job, and we hear more about this in Chapter Four. It'll depend on your organization and its purpose, but generally you'll be looking for actions, ideas and results that you prize – and that align with the mission, vision and values of the organization.

Leaders need to be absolutely clear about what they value, and communicate that to employees. For instance, maybe you appreciate someone challenging current practices, or putting in extra effort to complete a project on time. When people know what behaviors and qualities you appreciate, they'll know what to do to stand out.

Just don't get hung up on actions that get financial results. Other things matter, too. An assistant who rings ahead to the hotel where his boss is staying, to check it can meet her dietary requirements, is worthy of appreciation. A good leader develops an eye for spotting effort, initiative, innovation, and action – however small.

If you're not sure whether or not something is worthy of recognition, ask yourself if the intention was to make a positive difference to someone's life, or if it indirectly helped someone else achieve a goal. If the answer is "yes," give recognition.

Recognition is most effective when it's given daily, weekly, and immediately after the behavior you've appreciated. If you leave it too long, people may see it as an afterthought and might even be offended.

Chapter Five is devoted to showing leaders how to encourage behavior worthy of appreciation. It tells us to support and thank people, even when their effort hasn't delivered an obvious positive outcome. There's a lot to be said for cheering people on when they feel like they've failed. It makes them want to keep going, which may eventually lead to a good result. And if individual projects fall flat, the effort behind them is still worth celebrating. The authors point out that some leaders see failure as crucial to success – if people aren't failing, they're not really trying to improve. That's why appreciation should extend beyond the obvious wins.

Leaders can empower team members to act in ways that deserve appreciation. For instance, we can encourage people to ask themselves how they could make something simpler, faster or greener. This can lead to better working practices. When leaders show people how their ideas are making a difference, employees are 17 times more likely to have a passion for their work.

By this point in the book, we have a good idea about where and when appreciation is due. Next, we need to think about rewards, and this is the subject of Chapter Six.

The authors are clear that recognition should be given even when people are simply meeting expectations. (This may mean a "thank you" or a small material reward.) Some might argue that, in these cases, a reward is unnecessary. But the authors say the impact of rewards far exceeds praise when you want to inspire people to do their best.

But what about those occasions when people go above and beyond? When they've acted on their own initiative, put their heart and soul into something, and created a measurable result? The authors argue that rewards are essential in these cases, because witnessing obvious success has a huge impact on all employees. Rewarding such results boosts morale, and inspires innovation, productivity and performance.

When you're rewarding a victory – such as landing a big client or smashing a sales target – a lasting symbolic reward, like a trophy or certificate, may be the best motivator. Material rewards such as a trip or gift card are often popular, but they disappear once they're used. But a trophy will be a constant reminder of a person's contribution – and the company's appreciation.

Remember, too, that a gift reward has maximum impact when it's something you know the person will love. For instance, a set of premium cookware for someone who loves to cook shows that the leader really knows and values the person.

Recognition is amplified when rewards are given in public, at a presentation where leaders highlight the person's achievement and explain why it is so highly valued by the organization. The authors tell the story of one recipient who was overwhelmed that his wife and daughter were invited to see him accept his reward. This kind of gesture can inspire everyone there.

But woe betide the leader who doesn't reward a victory or high achievement! Such omissions tend to be obvious to the person, and others in the organization, leading to low morale. People may want to seek appreciation elsewhere.

Celebrating an employee's career is a great way to show appreciation of their long-term contribution. It makes them feel respected, strengthens loyalty, and creates feelings of belonging. It's also good for retention. A global study shows that companies that celebrate service anniversaries keep their employees around two years longer than those that don't.

And when leaders celebrate a milestone in someone's career, it needs to be personal to that individual. So, at an event to celebrate five years of service, for example, you should focus on that person's unique qualities, affirm their capabilities, and emphasize the impact they've had on the organization.

The final chapter of the book, "The Rise in Value," highlights the powerful ripple effect that happens when leaders practice appreciation and recognition.

Appreciation begets more appreciation; it trickles from you to your team members, from team members to their colleagues, and so on. Appreciation touches the human spirit, and this chapter shares moving stories of its impact on the lives of individuals and their communities.

The book focuses on the benefits of receiving appreciation from leaders. But, in a section at the end of the book called "White Papers," we learn that the benefits of recognition come from a combination of receiving, giving and observing it.

In fact, O.C. Tanner Institute research shows that people who give recognition experience a 26 percent increase in engagement, a 33 percent increase in innovation, and a 22 percent increase in results. So leaders and managers benefit, along with the team members they appreciate.

Although aimed at leaders, "Appreciate" is a reassuring guide for anyone who wants to motivate others and grow as an individual. The writing is clear and succinct, and the pages are brought to life with helpful graphs, tables, and definitions highlighted in text boxes. There are also templates and checklists to help leaders prepare for "highest achievement" and "years of service" presentations. At the end of each chapter there's a summary of the main points under the heading "Quick Take." Case studies and stories help illustrate the concepts.

"Appreciate" highlights what a privilege it is to be a leader, because the positive and long-lasting effect you can have on others can be life-changing. The book urges leaders to move away from the idea of controlling and policing their teams. Instead, they need to trust that, generally, people want to do a good job. That's an individual's starting point, and we can help them along with a heartfelt pat on the back, in the right way and at the right time.

The authors promised to deliver a book that helps leaders celebrate their people and inspire greatness. Appreciation and recognition are not new concepts, and we probably already practice both in our daily lives. But this book provides proof that appreciating people works, and gives us the tools to practice appreciation and recognition more effectively in the workplace. The ripple effect of celebrating people's intrinsic value is to create efficient, creative and happy workplaces. It may also encourage others to aspire to leadership.

"Appreciate: Celebrating People, Inspiring Greatness," by David Sturt, Todd Nordstrom, Kevin Ames, and Gary Beckstrand, is published by O.C. Tanner Institute Publishing.

That's the end of this episode of Book Insights. Thanks for listening.