Neuroscience: Appreciation is good for you
Appreciation, acknowledgement, recognition and gratitude are good for you. They all generate neurochemicals - dopamine, serotonin or oxytocin - which increase connection, trust, positivity and wellbeing in individuals, teams and working relationships.
When you appreciate others, you smile more, feel happier, increase effectiveness and innovation, notice what's working well and inspire others. You can read more about the benefits in this Forbes article.
Appreciation is a win-win!
No news is good news
They do not need the soft stuff
I told them earlier this year
You know that if there was a problem with someone's performance they would know about it, and therefore no news is good news. You assume that they know this too.
The reality is, they might not. And, unfortunately, the negative orientation of the brain makes 'no news is good news' very difficult to work with anyway. People will default to t
You know that if there was a problem with someone's performance they would know about it, and therefore no news is good news. You assume that they know this too.
The reality is, they might not. And, unfortunately, the negative orientation of the brain makes 'no news is good news' very difficult to work with anyway. People will default to their own beliefs that they are not good enough. Their brain needs to be reminded and their attention needs to be pointed to what they are doing well.
I told them earlier this year
They do not need the soft stuff
I told them earlier this year
You told someone earlier this year that they were doing well, and you assume that they know this is still the case.
However, the brain has more circuitry dedicated to interpreting something as a threat rather than a potential reward. This bias means that we are much more likely to interpret everyday comments and interactions as negative. W
You told someone earlier this year that they were doing well, and you assume that they know this is still the case.
However, the brain has more circuitry dedicated to interpreting something as a threat rather than a potential reward. This bias means that we are much more likely to interpret everyday comments and interactions as negative. We need to consciously bring in positive comments to balance this.
I gave them a bonus
They do not need the soft stuff
They do not need the soft stuff
You might assume that people interpret a bonus as a gesture of appreciation.
But bonuses do not create a feeling of appreciation in the social brain. A bonus is impersonal. If you follow a bonus with a personal message about why they deserve it, then they are likely to hear it as appreciation.
They do not need the soft stuff
They do not need the soft stuff
They do not need the soft stuff
You might assume that appreciation is not needed in your business, as you need to spend your time focusing on our business outcomes and results.
But we are not robots. We are emotional creatures driven by a social and emotional brain. Emotions motivate us and get us to focus on business results. A lack of positivity creates a transactional
You might assume that appreciation is not needed in your business, as you need to spend your time focusing on our business outcomes and results.
But we are not robots. We are emotional creatures driven by a social and emotional brain. Emotions motivate us and get us to focus on business results. A lack of positivity creates a transactional workplace where people do only the minimum. Create a positive workplace and they will give you their best and go above and beyond.