The Five Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace: Empowering Organizations by Encouraging People Kandi Thomas and Angela

Nichols

Tallest Tower• This exercise is to help build collaboration and

communication.• Must build the tallest free standing tower with

the supplies in the bags. • You have 25 minutes to complete this task.• No questions to the facilitators. • Good luck!

• How does building the tower in this activity compare to your daily work? or the way our group is organized?

• How does this activity relate to being part of the larger company, organization, or group?

• How can we encourage collaboration, communication, and sharing among the whole group?

Tallest Tower Discussion

Survey – Please take ten minutes to complete the survey.

Words of Affirmation“Words of Affirmation is the language that uses

words to communicate a positive message to another person.”

• Praise for Accomplishments• Affirmation for Character• Praise for Personality• How & Where to Affirm – personal, praise in front

of others, written affirmation, public affirmation• Missing the Mark: Hollow Praise• Task: Choose a colleague you feel is deserving

and give them a statement of affirmation within the next two weeks.

Quality Time“Quality time; giving the person your focused

attention.”• How?

– Maintain eye contact.– Don’t do other things while you are listening.– Listen for feelings as well as thoughts.– Affirm their feelings even if you disagree with their conclusions.– Observe body language.– Resist the impulse to interrupt.

• When, Where, Who?• Missing the Mark: “I’m Here, Aren’t I?”• Task: Next time, when talking with a colleague,

stop emailing, texting, and working to just listen to what they have to say.

Acts of Service“Providing assistance to one’s colleagues is a

powerful expression of appreciation,”• Serve Effectively: your responsibilities need to be

covered, ask for help, serve voluntarily, check your attitude, if you are going to help, do it their way, complete what you start.

• Offices and Classrooms• Missing the Mark: Begrudging Service• Task: During a time that you are free of all your

responsibilities, help another staff member out.

Tangible Gifts“Giving the right gift to a person who appreciates

tangible rewards can send a powerful message of thanks, appreciation and encouragement.”

• Gifts: The Who and the What• More Than a Mug• “Time Off” as a Gift• Task: Identify not only a person that values

tangible gifts, but also what they would like and provide them with that gift.

Physical Touch“Appropriate physical contact with colleagues to

show appreciation for a job well done.”• Time and a Place• It’s Not for Everyone• Benefits: positively affect educational learning,

emotional healing, create a sense of acceptance, communicates a sense of trust, connectedness, and caring.

• Task: Identify one to two team members that their language is physical touch.

Your Least Valued Language• The Black Hole of Appreciation• Blind Spot of Appreciation• Choose to Accept Others’ Languages• Speak their Language

Overcoming Your Challenges• Busyness• Belief that Communicating Appreciation is not

Important• Feeling Overwhelmed with Existing

Responsibilities• Structural and Logistical Issues• Personal Discomfort with Communicating

Appreciation• Fake Factor

What is your language of appreciation?