Do you have a blank wall somewhere at your office?
Consider trying out this idea:
Transform the blank wall into a Wall of Appreciation.
It’s fairly common knowledge that being appreciated at work impacts a host of factors: retention, engagement, productivity and customer satisfaction.
A few research examples:
-
“The number-one reason most Americans leave their jobs is that they don’t feel appreciated. In fact, 65% of people surveyed said they got no recognition for good work last year.” (Gallup, Tom Rath and Donald Clifton, How Full Is Your Bucket? Positive Strategies for Work and Life, 2001)
-
“41% of companies that use peer-to-peer recognition have seen marked positive increases in customer satisfaction. ” (SHRM/Globoforce Employee Recognition Survey, 2012)
-
“In those organizations in which individual employees or teams are recognized, the entity’s average core for employee results was approximately 14% higher than in organizations in which recognition does not occur.” (Bersin by Deloitte, The State of Employee Recognition, 2012)
In my leadership consulting practice, I often discuss appreciation with executives.They all seem to know that appreciation matters. They all seem to get how good it’d be to appreciate their people on a consistent basis.
And they also confess that their best of intentions fall by the wayside in the busyness of the business. Their excuse?
I just don’t have the time. So it doesn’t happen.
But what if all the appreciation didn’t have to come from you?
What if you set up a system so that anyone could appreciate anyone else at anytime?
Try using the Wall of Appreciation.
Materials Needed:
-
Wall
-
Large (6′ x8″) post-it notes
-
Marker
-
Somewhat legible handwriting
Rules:
When someone on the team feels moved to recognize someone else on the team for something they’ve done, they write a specific note of appreciation (that includes the why) and sticks it up on the wall for others to read.
You can sort the wall by subgroups, project teams, any way you like.You can leave the notes up for a set period of time, then move them on to the recipient.
As you can see: the rules are simple, and flexible.I was with an IT company this week that has used the wall of appreciation to great success. As one senior manager told me, “It’s a great morale booster for everyone, and everyone feels more a part of the team.”
As a leader, why keep trying to live up to the superhero belief that every piece of appreciation and praise has to come through you? Spread the love (and the work) with a Wall of Appreciation.
What other techniques do you use to foster a culture of appreciation? Join the conversation by leaving a comment below.