Appreciation, gratitude, and recognition

Appreciation, gratitude, and recognition are more than simple gestures: they are a powerful set of tools to build relationships within our University community. Part of employee appreciation stems from our conversations about performance, about setting expectations, and developing a pattern of effective communication. Much like performance conversations when we recognize both successes and improvements, these exchanges should happen on an ongoing basis, steadily recognizing members of our Waterloo community for their work and dedication to ensure we are supporting the next generation of talent, thinkers, and leaders at our institution.

When giving mindful recognition, it is important to understand the recognition preference of your employee or colleague. Remember to always provide thorough examples of the accomplishments, and how they, or their work, benefits the team or the University.

Appreciate your Coworkers: What does work mean to you? Is it really about the daily grind, or the accomplishments of your team? What does your team mean to you? Have you mentioned how much you appreciate them lately? 

Resources:

Videos

• Heroes and Stars Among Us: The Power of Recognition Mike McDonald | Gallup Called to Coach Webcast Series
  Learn how managers and employees alike can multiply heroic moments and foster a culture rich in recognition.

• Oh, To Be Grateful | Spoken Word Poem by Natalie Patterson
  Poet Natalie Patterson gives us her take on gratitude. What are you grateful for?

• The Power of Appreciation Mike Robbins | TEDxBellevue
  There is an important distinction between "recognition" and "appreciation." Leaders, teams, organizations, and individuals who understand this distinction can have much more impact, meaning, and productivity in their lives and with the people around them.

• An Indigenous Prayer of Gratitude Chief Phil Lane Jr. | UpLift
  Chief Phil Lane Jr. shares one of the four songs of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Woman, which he says holds a message for our time in human history.

• Let's Rethink Employee Appreciation
  What makes workers happy? Take a step back from rigid and self-serving employee appreciation programs and focus on creating value and building relationships.

• Explore more TED Talks and Videos on the Power of Gratitude

Articles

• What Can the Brain Reveal About Gratitude?  Greater Good Magazine, The Greater Good Science Center, University of California, Berkeley
  New research is exploring the brain regions linked to gratitude—and it helps explain gratitude's many benefits.
• The Remote Workplace Needs Recognition Rituals Too Nate Dvorak and Ryan Pendell| Gallup®
  For remote work employees, common workplace recognition rituals don't exist. And with COVID-19, many remote workers -- even while still employed -- are likely to feel adrift, lost, forgotten in their new work environment. Here's what you can do to help.
• Gratitude as Ceremony: A Practical Guide to Decolonization By Kahsto’sera’a Paulette Moore & Tehahenteh Frank Miller, Journal of Sustainability
  “Indigenous peoples’ relationship to the natural world provides a powerful antidote … Within our own Rotinonhsyón:ni (Iroquois) nations the act of gratitude is at the heart of our key ceremony that connects us to our Earth.”
• Employee Recognition: Low Cost, High Impact Annamarie Mann and Nate Dvorak | Gallup®
  Workplace recognition motivates, provides a sense of accomplishment and makes employees feel valued for their work. Recognition not only boosts individual employee engagement but also increases productivity and loyalty to the company, leading to higher retention.
• Gratitude is Good Medicine! How Being Grateful Can Heal  BlackDoctor.org
  “Grateful people engage in more exercise, have better dietary behaviors, are less likely to smoke and abuse alcohol, and have higher rates of medication adherence”

• Why Employees Need Both Recognition and Appreciation Mike Robbins | Harvard Business Review
  Recognition and appreciation. We often use these words interchangeably and think of them as the same thing. But while they’re both important, there’s a big difference between them.

• Why Is Gratitude So Hard for Some People? Summer Allen | The Greater Good Science Center, University of California, Berkeley
  If you have trouble with gratitude, you’re not alone. Luckily, there’s something you can do about it.

• The Surprising Power of Appreciation at Work Chris Cancialosi | Forbes Magazine
  How the power of positivity and appreciation shifts the dynamics at work.
• When a Teammate Won’t Accept Your Praise Nobl Academy
  As leaders, we know acknowledging our employees for a job well done helps keep them motivated, especially in the face of ongoing change. Yet sometimes our compliments get a strange reception. Is your feedback missing the mark? Or is it the individual?

LinkedIn Learning courses

• Creating a Healthy and Positive Work Environment
  In this course, HR consultant Catherine Mattice Zundel explains how companies that invest in a positive workplace can see an amazing return on their investment.
• How to Have a Happier Workweek  Celebrate successes weekly
  Pete Mockaitis | How to Be Awesome at Your Job

Podcasts

• Giving Thanks: The power of gratitude and why it's so important. Runtime: 4:02 
  From the Buddhist Bootcamp Podcast by Timber Hawkeye
• How Gratitude Renews Us from The Science of Happiness Podcast Runtime: 19:11
  Explores how cultivating gratitude helps people in high-stress jobs.
• The Gratitude Podcast: Stories that Inspire by Georgian Benta
  Gratitude has been scientifically proven to help us heal and get back on track. Join me each week for a new story about gratitude and how we can apply it to our own life.

• Employability – From Great Resignation to Great Employee Appreciation (episode 240) from WorkforcePods
  Tips for how organizations can demonstrate appreciation for their employees and set themselves up to have the best chance to retain their workers. 

Micro-Learning: short sections with big insights

• Why employee recognition is key for inclusion and belonging
  Discover how to apply inclusive design to your work. Learn about the difference between empathy and compassion and the role inclusion plays in the development of organizational resilience.
• Making recognition a routine
  Not everyone likes to be recognized the same way. Make a positive impact on your team by learning how to lead through relationships.
• Reward employees with empathy
  Tips for using empathy to connect with employees and to improve communication, collaboration, productivity, and performance.
• Building a culture of appreciation
  Discover the difference between managing and motivating, and learn to build a culture of appreciation.
• Understanding appreciation
  Learn how to foster an environment where your team recognizes and embraces the importance of inclusion as a part of your team culture.

Top Tips and Practices

• Send Praise to people on Microsoft Teams
  The Praise app in Microsoft Teams helps users show appreciation to members of your organization or classroom. The badges in Praise are designed to help recognize the effort that goes into the wide range of work that Teams users do, from educators to frontline workers
• Set up a Kudoboard for employees to share their appreciation. A Kudoboard is an online appreciation tool that replaces the greeting card that's passed around and signed.
• Gratitude Mediation
  Feel grateful as you reflect on all the gifts in your life. Gratitude practice can be used to promote a positive mood, hope, and resilience.