Celebrating National Employee Appreciation Day on March 4

By Davina Thrash, IEI Business Officer

How many of you like to feel appreciated, recognized, or shown gratitude for the work you do every day and by the people you work with? Many of us want and need this in order to have job satisfaction. Many of us need this to help us be a bit more engaged and willing to be more invested in our organizations.

Gary Chapman and Paul White say it best: “Something deep within the human psyche cries out for appreciation. When that need is unmet, then an employee’s level of engagement with their work will be low.” – The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace

So what can we do to counter this from happening? Learn our employees’ and colleagues’ language of appreciation, put it to work, and make it stick. Why? Because we all speak different appreciation languages. Some of us like words —public/private/written; some of us like focused undivided attention; some of us like acts of service (just make sure if you are helping, you are helping in the way the person needs and not your way); some of us appreciate tangible gifts; and some of us like a spontaneous celebration with a pat on the back, high five, or fist bump.

So on Friday, March 4 as organizations across the nation celebrate their employees for National Employee Appreciation Day, what will you do to say, “Thanks…I appreciate you”? What will you do to recognize your employees or colleagues?

Something deep within the human psyche cries out for appreciation. When that need is unmet, then an employee’s level of engagement with their work will be low.
– Gary Chapman and Paul White, The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace