2, 4, 6, 8, Do You Still Appreciate?<\/h2>\n

Wow! Do things look different in the rear view mirror! And by things, I\u2019m talking about experiences. But before I get into the details of this article\u2019s message, I\u2019ll come clean that I am a work in process and that I very intentionally plan to be that way until I\u2019m gone. The period in my life when I became comfortable with my ongoing evolution changed me. I began to allow myself to make a mistake (every once in awhile is OK), became committed to ongoing personal development, and frankly, started appreciating people more. I still don\u2019t have all of this figured out. But these points serve as a jump-off point for a concept that is a good learning, or at least a good reminder, for us.<\/p>\n

The concept?<\/h3>\n

How does your culture view appreciation? Specifically, does it treat appreciation as a limited resource or an unlimited gift? Is extending appreciation seen as a weakness or strength? Is it viewed with admiration or ridicule?<\/p>\n

The issue of appreciation is much deeper that a 500-word article can dive. In fact, I\u2019m not even going to spend words to justify the value of appreciation in a culture. I assume it intuitively makes sense. However, there are a few aspects that we can touch on related to a culture with an appreciation gap.<\/p>\n

At its ugliest, the culture displays a pervasive attitude that either you<\/em> OR I<\/em> can be successful, so I choose the \u201cI<\/em>.\u201d And I\u2019ll<\/em> ensure that happens by diminishing you<\/em>. This approach makes the concept of \u201cappreciate\u201d a zero-sum game, like allocating a fixed merit budget or dividing a bag of M&Ms or a property line dispute between two neighbors trying to gain turf.<\/p>\n

What is the cause?<\/h3>\n

What should I do? It\u2019s time for a check-up. Ask yourself (better yet, ask others too) the following questions.<\/p>\n

\n
• Am I setting a good example?<\/strong> This one is purposely number one on the list.<\/li>\n
• Is my team aligned to the purpose of our organization?<\/strong> Are they more focused on their own individual success than they should be? Have we articulated our purpose, our direction, our priorities?<\/li>\n
• Do we understand appreciation?<\/strong> Where it is appropriate, why it is important, the power of giving it. Most importantly, do we know how to deliver it? Do we know the difference between genuine appreciation and shallow appreciation? Are there processes in place to help?<\/li>\n
• Is appreciation safe?<\/strong> Do we send messages, subtle or otherwise, that signal whether appreciation is encouraged?<\/li>\n
• When we hire people and manage performance, to what degree are the underlying elements of appreciation (such as attitude, team orientation, confidence, etc\u2026) taken into account?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

  If you have this figured out (I actually know some folks who do), then thanks! I believe you are making the world a better place. I appreciate that! If you haven\u2019t figured it out yet, you could start today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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