Feeling genuinely appreciated lifts people up. At the most basic level, it makes us feel safe, which is what frees us to do our best work. It’s also energizing. When our value feels at risk, as it so often does, that worry becomes preoccupying, which drains and diverts our energy from creating value.
Tony Schwartz, Why Appreciation Matters So Much, HBR.
While appreciation matters for engaging workers, Schwartz points out that we’re not accustomed to using the language of positive emotion in the workplace. How do you express appreciation to workers?
