Adapt Your Culture of Appreciation

How does an organization or leader develop an appreciative culture? How does the culture of appreciation need to be adapted to meet the needs of generation X, millennials and aging baby boomers?

Baby boomers, the products of the population bulge after World War II, were often recognized and rewarded for long service, loyal client relationships, outstanding sales and productivity results. These rewards spoke to the people companies thought they were loyal, stable and productive. Recognition often took the form of employee of the month, outstanding salesperson and long service awards.

Generation X has different views. Born in the mid-60s to late 70s, these people generally have seen parents face job insecurity and technological disruption. They are less loyal to their company and more loyal to their immediate boss and teammates. They have generally grown up with a dislike of authority and tradition.

Recognition for them is most likely to be effective if it comes from their immediate supervisor and relates to the goals of their team and colleagues. They are less likely to respond to company awards, but are more appreciative of recognition in the form of learning opportunities and opportunities to use their freedom and creativity.

Millennials are born between the late 70s and the turn of the century. They have grown up in a child-centered culture where their parents provided learning opportunities and afterschool activities that were previously unheard of. They are more familiar with the technologies of the workplace than previous generations having grown up with computers, cell phones and multi-tasking.

Generally speaking millennials respond well to being appreciated for the diversity of thinking they bring to tasks. They like personal attention and appreciate structured activity and stability much more than the generation before them.

Internationally there are also large differences in social cultures such as the individualism of American culture versus the collectivist perspectives of many European and Asian cultures. Americans generally like to be recognized for their individual achievements, while many Australians and Japanese prefer to be appreciated for what they contribute to their colleagues and teammates.

A culture of appreciation needs to be adapted to the people and culture of the organization. Regardless of how it looks in any given workplace, appreciation provides an invaluable takeaway for businesses. By making employees feel valued, work enthusiasm and company identity will flourish, leading to unsurpassed productivity.