How can this work well?
In our coaching and counselling sessions, people from a wide variety of sectors tell us again and again that they have to function above all in their jobs and that they are not seen and recognised very much. Some also report bullying, more and more burnout and exhaustion. Could appreciation, respectful and dignified cooperation contribute to solutions?
"Miracle of appreciation"
In his book "Miracles of Appreciation", Reinhard Haller, psychiatrist, psychotherapist and neurologist, writes at the beginning: "We all know from our own experience how good it feels when we are shown appreciation and respect, when we experience positive attention, praise and gratitude. Yet appreciation has taken a tumble over the last few decades."
However, Haller also thinks that the wind is slowly changing, that the longing for appreciation is growing again and is being actively sought. Appropriately, we found an article in the Standard.
This shows that appreciation is once again becoming a big topic that people also talk about.
Appreciation is certainly not a daily to-do to be checked off, not a trained method, but should come from an inner attitude, coupled with genuine interest in the other.
"It has been taught in leadership seminars for a very long time that one pat on the back and an annual bonus is not what gives people (employees) the secure feeling of being recognised and valued, seen, asked and informed."
Why do I do what I do?
Appreciative interaction certainly also includes conveying a sense of purpose in one's work, the answer to the question "Why do I do what I do? The Standard asked the two managing directors of the service provider Sodexo (solutions for company restaurants and catering), Michael Freitag and Andreas Sticha, about this - here is a summary of the questions and answers:
When asked by the newspaper whether appreciation is the (old) new thing, Michael Freitag says: "It makes a difference whether the employee who serves food smiles because he likes to work and knows why, or not. The motivation of employees is also different today, which is largely due to the young, to the demographic curve. A well-equipped company car with private use is not enough today. At the very least, it has to be an electric car or an annual ticket for the public transport system.
His colleague Andreas Sticha focuses on values that are already present in the word appreciation - basic values such as respect, visibly celebrating successes and positive feedback.
Furthermore, they both explained that companies now realise that they lose people if they do not focus on appreciation. This is the responsibility of superiors, the basis is trust. This must be exemplified and reflected throughout the company. It is about real signals such as trust-based working hours and about being assessable, predictable and consistent. Employees must know clearly what is possible and what is not. How the company fulfils its social responsibility is also becoming increasingly important. Activities in the area of corporate social responsibility are an increasingly strong instrument of appreciation - for example, giving employees time off for social commitment or offering corporate volunteering programmes.
When asked by the newspaper where the trend is going in terms of benefits and advantages for employees, Freitag makes it clear that quality of life is a big issue. Of course, this includes good, quality food, nutritional advice and coaching on various topics. Here, the demand has risen extremely. Support in reconciling work and family life, e.g. through childcare vouchers, is also very much appreciated. Employee assistance programmes are also on the rise. Companies are increasingly offering help and advice in crises or difficult life situations, both psychological, legal and preventive, accessible to all and anonymised.
We would like to underline the statements of Freitag and Sticha with a quote from Reinhard Haller:
"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person - these are two of over a hundred rights in the UN Human Rights Charter - a great many of which have to do with esteem. That is what we should be guided by. Just try it and perform - for yourself and your fellow human beings - the miracle of appreciation."
Reinhard Haller
Sources: https://www.derstandard.at/story/2000114239991/wertschaetzung-in-der-firma-ist-jetzt-feel-good, 11.02.2020 Reinhard Haller (2019): Das Wunder der Wertschätzung. Gräfe und Unzer. Munich
