Offer commendation with
a positive perception

Actively recognizing worth cultivates team excellence

By Angela Civitella

Previously published in WestmountMag.ca

“To see things in the seed, that is genius”, said Lao-tzu, a Chinese philosopher. This is what we now refer to as Appreciative Intelligence, a term coined by Tojo Thatchenkery to describe the capacity of certain individuals to see the positive inherent potential of situations or people – it is the ability to see a breakthrough product, top talent, or valuable solution of the future that is not readily visible in the present situation. In short, it is the ability to see the mighty oak in the acorn.

The term originated when the author began studying the explosive entrepreneurial growth in Silicon Valley in the late 1990s. According to the author, it is appreciative intelligence that allowed, partly, so many highly talented immigrants from different countries to assemble in the area and flourish. As Thatchenkery puts it, venture capitalists looking to fund the right ideas were asking the question, “How can I make this work?” as opposed to “What are the chances this idea will fail?” They created an environment of high anticipation of positive results that became a contagious fever of opportunity, achievement, resilience and possibility recognition.

Appreciative intelligence is a mental ability of individuals who have a knack for reframing situations and a keen eye for spotting what’s valuable and positive in a situation or in people.

Appreciative intelligence (not to be confused with appreciative inquiry which is an approach and methodology for analyzing organizations) is a mental ability of individuals who have a knack for reframing situations (the glass half full / half empty) and a keen eye for spotting what’s valuable and positive in a situation or in people. These individuals go one step further: they can envision how the positive aspects can be used to create a better future. Combining the two in an organization, i.e. a leader with appreciative intelligence using an appreciative inquiry approach, constitutes a powerful force indeed for effecting positive change and inspiring others to give the very best they have to offer. Imagine if all leaders in an organization proactively and mindfully practiced appreciative intelligence. Imagine the profound, healthy impact that this would have on an organization’s culture.

Such a culture would fuel employees’ motivation. Surveys of what employees want consistently rank “appreciation for work well done” high up on the motivation index – well above “good wages”. Ironically, managers often place good wages above appreciation in their responses to what employees want. Other surveys show that one of the reasons employees leave companies is because of a lack of praise and recognition. Leaders often talk of the challenge of building trust in their organization. A study was carried out on trust in the workplace, called In Search of Honour, which shows that 54% of those polled would work for less remuneration if the following trust-building factors were present:

Importance
Giving people a sense of importance about who they are and about their role in the organization;

Touch
Feeling that the leader genuinely cares about them, feeling a connection with the leader;

Gratitude
Being appreciated for their contributions and sacrifices; receiving genuine gratitude;

Fairness
Knowing that leaders ensure equal and fair distribution of rewards.

Recognition and praise are indeed high-octane fuel for the soul. When we receive a genuine compliment, we experience an inner glow—it’s a warm, magical feeling that makes us break into a smile. It makes us want to go the extra mile for the person who bestowed the sincere compliment. If this were not important to us, we would not treasure all the mementos of awards, plaques, appreciative notes and emails, and other tokens of appreciation that we have received over the years.

‘Recognition and praise are indeed high-octane fuel for the soul… It makes us want to go the extra mile for the person who bestowed the sincere compliment.’

But intuitively, we all know that genuine appreciation is a key factor in our relationship with our constituents, and any basic management course will touch on the value of praising employees for their contributions. Yet many well-meaning and otherwise caring leaders are reluctant to express their appreciation of others’ talents and contributions.

Many years ago, in speaking with a great leader who became a mentor, I observed that he genuinely cared for his constituents, and he confided in me one day that he found expressing praise a very difficult thing to do – publicly and even harder, privately. I asked him why that is. He said, “I grew up in a household where praising was not something we did.” There is a profound implication in this statement. Our families are our first corporations – that’s where we learned many of our behaviours, and it is often difficult to break these ingrained patterns. Withholding praise, however, is a pattern of behaviour that we need to unlearn if we want to bring the best out in people. We need to get over the embarrassment that grips some of us when we have to praise an individual.

‘Withholding praise… is a pattern of behaviour that we need to unlearn if we want to bring the best out in people.’

Here are some pointers for practicing this important skill:

• If you have difficulty praising others, analyze the root causes of this. If it is a fear of embarrassing others, know that even the most introverted individuals who shun public praise enjoy reading an email to all staff about their contributions. If it is a discomfort at not knowing how to do it, read the few simple rules below and consider working with a coach for one or two sessions on this most important aspect of a leader’s communication repertoire. Self-awareness precedes self-management.
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• Sometimes, withholding praise is simply due to a lack of time for leaders who are required to handle an ever-increasing number of issues during the course of a harried day. If this is your challenge, I encourage you to reframe how you view this particular issue. Showing your people you care about them needs to move up on the list of items in your “to-do” list. It takes less than ten seconds to say, “I appreciate the time and thought you put into this report. It is exceptional. Thank you.”
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• Praise has a limited “best before” date. Don’t delay expressing it or wait until performance review time—when you see something worthy of praise, do so promptly after the event.
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• Make your genuine words memorable for your constituents by being specific about the achievement. Not many of us remember the perfunctory “job well done”, but we all would remember someone who tells us “This was pure genius”, or, “I would have missed this if you hadn’t picked it up.” The praise does not have to be elaborate. It just needs to be genuine.

‘Perhaps the ultimate appreciation is letting people know that their work – no matter how far removed they are from the top of the pyramid – is important to the organization.’

• When you drop by an employee’s office or cubicle to deliver the praise, don’t follow that with a conversation about business matters or other projects. Deliver the praise and leave. Come back later for discussions on other matters. This gives the praise its moment of honour and heightens its value in the eyes of the recipient.
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• Finally, how can you apply the dynamic concept of appreciative intelligence to yourself? What are your talents? The practice of appreciating our talents and gifts opens us up to appreciating others’ greatness.

Perhaps the ultimate appreciation is letting people know that their work – no matter how far removed they are from the top of the pyramid – is important to the organization. It’s about making everyone feel like an owner and helping them understand how their work contributes to the overall purpose of the company. It’s about practicing seeing more in people. Excellence involves everyone.

There is another lovely Chinese quote that says, “A bit of perfume always clings to the hand that gives roses.” As leaders, when we make people feel great about themselves paradoxically we elevate ourselves to greatness as well.

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