The Four Keys to Mastering the Art of Appreciation

Appreciation. It is one of our great tools as leaders to motivate and encourage those we lead, to let them know how much they are valued and to understand more clearly their great qualities, to support their full engagement in all that they're doing. There's nothing more frustrating than as a team member, giving it your all and feeling like no one around you values you or appreciates what you're doing. So the art of appreciation requires four key things. Number one, be brief. Appreciation is like this rich lava chocolate cake that a little bit goes a long way. So I suggest everything you can say in one exhale is the perfect amount of words to share in an appreciation. Second, be specific. So if I say, hey, I really appreciated the job you did with that last client, they're not going to necessarily know what you mean. But if you say specifically, I loved the way you addressed that concern that they had and brought them back to a place of calm that allowed them to get back into the game with us, they can understand more specifically what you liked. Third, be unarguable. This is an important one. You did the best job anybody's ever done in this particular way is arguable. But if you could say to them, I really liked this thing, they're more willing to take it in because their system over here is not as likely to argue with you if you say something that they don't fully resonate with. Fourth, let your whole self appreciate. It's easy to find things from our head to appreciate, but it's another thing to really let your whole body step into the experience of appreciation. And the value of that is you get to feel some of that warmth and connection as much as the person you're appreciating does. So use this great tool to help others around you feel valued and excited about being in collaboration.