Simon Sinek offered this simple leadership strategy: “A boss wants to pay for results; an employee wants recognition for effort. If a boss recognizes effort, they will get even better results.”

Let’s examine this a bit further. . .

Jack Roy aspired to be a professional comedian. Unfortunately, his audiences didn’t send a supportive message, rarely laughing at his performances.

Disappointed, he resumed his earlier career as a salesperson.

At age 40, Jack decided to give the comedic gig one more try. This time, his self-deprecating humor caused audiences to embrace his lack of success, recognize his need to be appreciated, and playfully acknowledge his quest to overcome repeated failure.

His comic refrain, “I don’t get no respect,” became his mantra, and Jack Roy - or Rodney Dangerfield, as he is better known - became a hit and connected with audiences across the nation.

Feeling unappreciated is nothing new!

Rodney Dangerfield struck a chord with countless people who previously were fearful of expressing the ungratefulness they felt at work. Feeling unappreciated and taken for granted is a universal negative emotion experienced in countless work environments.

In Globeforce’s (now called Workhuman) employee “Mood Tracker” survey, 94 percent of employees said they like getting recognized for accomplishments at work. Similarly, 82 percent said that getting recognized for efforts at work motivates them in their jobs.

For years, the ribbon industry has thrived on people’s need for recognition. There are ribbons to recognize every conceivable achievement (even 12th place), contribution, or special designation.

Unfortunately, Ribbon Recognition is SOOOO temporary!

What Rodney Dangerfield ultimately experienced was intrinsic reward. . . The acceptance, appreciation, and applause of the audience.

Think about it, leaders!

Accept people for who they are. Their blemishes. Potential. Quirks. Unconventional approaches. In fact, celebrate the fact your team isn’t comprised of clones but individuals who all make a unique contribution to your success.

Appreciation comes in all shapes and sizes. Figure out what appeals to your individual team members. One size certainly does not fit all.

Appreciation naturally appreciates people’s value to the team.

Applaud anything you want repeated. Say “thank you,” “I’m grateful for your dedication,” “That was fabulous,” or “I am so thankful for all you do” every time you have an opportunity.

Accentuate the positive. Countless leaders are experts at identifying what is wrong with their team members but totally inept at seeing the good.

Genuinely appreciate people to the maximum. . . and then double it.

Alan Loy McGinnis reminds us that, “When someone comes along who genuinely thanks us, we will follow that person a very long way.”    

Questions to Ponder:

• Is appreciation a way of life in our culture?

• If not, what can we do? If so, how can we improve?

• How can we accentuate three positives for every one negative?