I recently picked up a book titled "The Social Lives of Animals" by Ashley Ward. The cover flap informed me that "a rat will go out of its way to help a stranger, Vampire Bats will share their food with another who does not have any, and ants farm aphids in cooperatives." I bought the book.

If most businesses had this kind of result from their clients, they would be top performers.

I greeted the gratitude talk with my characteristic skepticism. My eyes rolled so far back into my head that I could see the cynicism lighting up my brain like a Christmas tree…

For over thirty years, we’ve known and admired Lynne Twist from her work with The Hunger Project, a grass-roots organization committed to ending world hunger, and for the Pachamama Alliance, a partnership for the indigenous people of the Amazon rainforest that she cofounded with her spouse, Bill.

By appreciating our teammates or work mates, we are helping with their brain function and their health!

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.