No approvals or budget required: You already have the power to tangibly improve your organizational and team culture
Photo by Christopher Gower on Unsplash
There is a lot of thought going into organizational and team culture right now. Much is being written about the return to office—and resistance to the return to office. Studies and surveys are examining the positive and negative levers contributing to the Great Attrition. Bigger paychecks no longer make up for bad managers the way they once did. Employee experiences, incentives, rewards and communications are getting more attention than they may ever have. This is good news and will ultimately create a better experience for employees, regardless of generation, priorities or career paths. But amidst all the thinking, studies and surveys, a simple strategy is being overlooked; one that’s available to anyone at no cost—from the C-suite to the youngest intern on the team: appreciation.
It's deceptively simple. But it’s often underestimated (or skipped). I’m not sure why. It can take just seconds. Anyone can do it. It can improve performance, confidence and satisfaction. In fact, in a study of the five things high performing teams do differently, appreciation is among the five. According to the study, high performing team members reported receiving frequent appreciation from their colleagues (72% more) as well their managers (79% more). Interestingly, they also reported expressing appreciation to their colleagues more frequently (44% more). Essentially, appreciation is a tangible norm in high performing teams’ interactions.
So what can appreciation look like? It doesn’t require a lot of fanfare:
“Thank you for the report. I’ll reply before the end of the week.”
“I appreciate the extra hours you put in to revise the numbers for our presentation.”
“Thanks for your candid feedback.”
“Great job on the client call today! You handled their objections well.”
“Thank you.”
Personally, I’ve worked with intense C-suite leaders who unfailingly replied to team member emails within a day simply to say thanks, even if a more robust response would follow a few days later. I’ve also worked with mid-level managers who were among the kindest people I’ve met in person but who might well have been a deliverables black hole given the lack of acknowledgement or appreciation. Without fail, the team members I worked with who received regular, basic appreciation were often the ones who were most willing to go the extra mile, happiest with their employee experience and most confident in their ability to deliver.
Of course, it's not that simple—but it’s a start
To reference the study above as well as my own experiences over the years, there are several factors that contribute to a successful team culture people want to be a part of. And there are many actions or activities that can elevate a culture that’s struggling.
But a really good first step is simply building appreciation into your exchanges with team members who report to you, who are your peers and who are higher in the reporting structure than you. There is simply no downside to this small but powerful action. No approvals or budget required.
