how appreciation fuels engagement
Appreciation is a potent source of emotional renewal, because one of the best ways to make ourselves feel better, and to build our reservoir of positive emotions, is to make others feel better. Whether in person or in writing, praise and appreciation are most powerful when they are very specific, and when the person feels you've valued his uniqueness.
As a leader, your energy is disproportionately contagious to those you lead. Expressing appreciation not only boosts your own feelings of positive energy, but the energy of those around you. The safer and more valued people feel, the more resilient they are in the face of high demand and uncertainty.
Find some great tips and ideas below for showing your appreciation tzo those in your life!
Join us on 
PS. Recharge this holiday season with our Renewal Challenge! Tell us on facebook how you plan to spend one day off from work in the next two weeks, and enter to win a free coaching session with performance expert, Tony Schwartz! Join now!
top tips for showing your appreciation
Think about someone in your life of whom you feel appreciative for something specific, but to whom you may not have expressed it explicitly. Write a note of appreciation to that person, being as specific as possible.
After a conversation, ask yourself whether the person you were talking to walked away feeling better or worse. If it's the latter, what could you have done differently?
When you feel the need to criticize "constructively", don't assume that you're right. Be curious and open-ended rather than making declarations and coming to conclusions.
HOW TO WRITE AN APPRECIATION NOTE
- Choose an employee or colleague of whom you feel genuinely appreciative.
- Be very specific about what you appreciate and give concrete examples.
- Try to focus on qualities and behaviors for which the person is not typically recognized.
tony's blog
the roi on genuine appreciation
I've just returned from an offsite with our team at The Energy Project. At the end, I asked each person to take a few moments to say what he or she felt most proud of accomplishing over the last year. After each brief recounting, I found myself adding some observation about what I appreciated in that person.
january 24-29, 2012
world economic forum
davos, switzerland
february 13, 2012
training 2012
atlanta, georgia
february 28, 2012
public workshop
san francisco, california
march 6, 2012
hci human capital summit
scottsdale, az
april 11, 2012
conference board leadership lab
new york, ny
