RECOVER: Bonus 3 – ABC of appreciation

Wherever I work, being appreciated at work is consistently in the top three and often the number one driver of having the best day at work people can remember when you can do the amazing work you aspire to. It’s really as simple as that. Someone just seeing and noticing your efforts and saying thanks. But genuine appreciation and not just swanning into the room and saying, Oh, you’re all fabulous. Keep up the hard work. That kind of vague stuff is patronising. This is seeing and noticing this specific little things people do and appreciating those. And you know what happens when you appreciate something specific someone has done, it lifts their mood, it builds confidence, and they’re more likely to do it again, which is why appreciation is the number one driver of performance and behaviour change you have at your disposal work, and a home too. When you know what you want to see, and you appreciate it you’ll see more of it. But I tell you one thing. Be careful what you appreciate because you will get more of it. Studies have shown in successful organisations, teams, families and thriving personal relationships. They tend to receive five times as much positive feedback as critical feedback. So let’s practise how to give great, authentic appreciation. We’re introducing a structured approach called the ABC of Appreciation. A stands for action describe a specific thing the person said or did. B is for benefit, the positive impact it had on you or someone else the project the world. C stands for continue, this is the reinforcement. Thanks. Keep it up. Find someone to practise this with right now. Recall a specific example when that person did something, even something small that made a difference. The benefits it gave to you or the group or someone else and ask them to keep doing it because they’re amazing, then ask if they can give you some positive feedback too.