Life is a fascinating dance, isn't it? Growth is not linear; it is a dance between expansion and contraction. How much does the expansiveness of our listening correlate with the impact we can make?

You probably do business with people you like, and you like them because of the way they treat you. How you are treated reflects how that business treats the people who work there…

This is a common situation in pretty much every organization we have worked within. In our work with executives, we routinely coach them to take the time to check in with their people, and see what they are doing, so they have greater opportunity to acknowledge or appreciate their teams or employees. We find acknowledgement is one of the most powerful and impactful things a leader can do to encourage engagement and higher performance.

If you wish to truly motivate your team to a higher level of performance, try going a little deeper than a blanket “thank you.”

Acknowledgment and appreciation are free and effective. Let people know they are on track consistently and you will find an increase in productivity and response. Acknowledge them for the job you hired them to do and let them know what you appreciate about the value and qualities they possess.