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Just like the relationship we have with our spouse, the working relationship we have with our team members and colleagues also needs to be nurtured and taken care of.
Most of us spend 40% of our time at the office and many of us are as committed to our work like how we are to our marriage. It’s but right to ensure that we and the people we work with are mentally and emotionally well.
Dr. Paul White, our guest today, is a psychologist, author, speaker, and consultant who helps businesses, government agencies, and non-profit organizations create positive workplace relationships and improve their staff morale.
Let’s listen to Dr. White as he discusses the five languages of appreciation in the workplace and why it is important to observe and cultivate these languages among ourselves.
One of the core messages of this discussion is to remind leaders that our team members, our employees are PEOPLE, they’re not just work/production units. If we just focus on tasks and productivity, we’re most likely not going to have a healthy workplace and a healthy team.
According to research done by Dr. White, one of the main reasons people leave is because they don’t feel valued or appreciated and an interesting fact states that most people don’t leave their jobs but they leave their managers.
We should acknowledge this appreciation gap among ourselves, recognize the need for being appreciated, and we should learn how to effectively communicate appreciation toward our team members in the most genuine and personal way.
To address this pressing issue, Dr. Paul White came up with these 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace:
Words of Affirmation – To communicate appreciation effectively, we need to understand the appreciation language of the person we want to affirm. We also need to be authentic and specific about what we appreciate about them.
Quality Time – It’s about having genuine and quality conversations with the people you work with. Taking the time to listen to their stories, pains, and challenges and giving them the attention that they need.
Acts of Service – It’s providing assistance and support to your colleagues. Among the younger generation, it’s more on collaborating and working together to finish a certain task/project.
Tangible Gifts – Giving meaningful and personalized gifts to your team members and pairing it an honest compliment.
Appropriate Physical Touch – This may be the least valued but affirming someone through a physical gesture such as a high-five, pat on the back, handshake, fist bump can mean so much to them.
Q: What are the key takeaways or action steps you’d like to leave with everybody listening?
Dr. White: Besides busyness, negativity is a big obstacle. And people think culture is outside of them. Culture is actually through the accumulation of hundreds and thousands of interactions between individuals. So, you can start to change your workplace culture by first of all, not joining in the negative. Don’t engage in the negative and secondly, find something positive to turn your attention to.
What you’ll learn:
The essence of the 5 Languages of Appreciation
The importance of effectively and regularly communicating appreciation
How being recognized and appreciated can boost your staff’s morale
Resources:
http://www.drpaulwhite.com./
BIO:
Dr. Paul White is a psychologist, author, speaker, and consultant who “makes work relationships work”. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Wheaton College with a major in Christian Education, earned his Masters of Counseling from Arizona State University, and received his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Georgia State University.
He has been married for over 30 years and is the father of four adult children.
For the past 20 years, he’s improved numerous businesses, schools, government agencies, and non-profit organizations by helping them:
Create positive workplace relationships and improve staff morale.
Eliminate the cynicism, sarcasm, and lack of trust that often is associated with traditional employee recognition programs.
Overcome the obstacles to help staff communicate authentic appreciation to one another.
A frequently sought after keynote speaker and leadership trainer, his speaking style has been described as “world-class expertise grounded in Midwestern practicality, with the right touch of warmth and humor”. Dr. White has given lectures around the world, including North America, Europe, South America, Asia, and the Caribbean. He has spoken to Microsoft managers, SHRM and association conferences across North America, at international conferences, and to numerous national organizations.
Dr. White is a coauthor of three books, including The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace, written with Dr. Gary Chapman (author of the #1 NY Times bestseller, The 5 Love Languages) which is in 15 languages and has sold over 225,000 copies worldwide. Based on their extensive research and expertise, Dr. White and Dr. Chapman have developed a unique way for organizations to improve staff morale, increase employee engagement, and create enhanced levels of trust. His other two books co-authored with Dr. Chapman and Harold Myra, Rising Above a Toxic Workplace and Sync or Swim, continue to be well-received by employees, HR professionals, and organizational leaders.
His most recent book, The Vibrant Workplace: Overcoming the Obstacles to Building a Culture of Appreciation, has been cited as the #1 new HR book released in 2017.
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