The 5 Languages of Appreciation and Their Roles in Nurturing Relationships in the Workplace
We spend 8 to 9 hours, five days a week with our colleagues – that’s about one-third of our lives, and we should make it worthwhile. Ever heard of the five love languages? The book The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman, Ph.D., came out in 2007 and sold over twelve million copies. It is a simplified guide to improve and strengthen relationships by understanding how we receive and give love because each one of us appreciates love differently.
The same goes for the way we deal with people in the workplace. We receive encouragement and motivation differently. By being familiar with a person’s language of appreciation will lead to a harmonious working relationship and higher employee engagement.
5 Languages of Appreciation
1. Words of Affirmation
Verbal acknowledgment is probably the most common way to express appreciation at work. A simple “keep up the good work” and “good job” can boost the morale of the people we work with. A thank you note, email, and recognition during team huddles would mean a lot to those whose primary language of appreciation is through words of affirmation.
One way to recognize a peer in UnionBank is through 1UHub. Just log in through oneunionbankerhub.com or the 1UHub app and select “Recognize a UnionBanker.” Recognized employees get reward points that they eventually use to redeem electronic gift cards from SM, Ayala Cinemas, Landmark, Lazada, Puregold, etc.
2. Acts of Service
Helping a colleague in reviewing a report, coordinating with another department for technical assistance for the whole team, or volunteering to order food when the team rushes a project, are some of the acts of service we can extend to make others feel our appreciation. These small gestures go a long way and positively affect productivity and speed. Acts of service can also be associated with one of our values, magis.
3. Receiving Gifts
Tokens and gifts are like concrete proofs of appreciation, and some people prefer this more. UnionBank takes employee recognition on a whole new level. We have an annual Service Awards where we recognize the loyalty and service of UnionBankers and award cash gifts equivalent to their length of service. We also appreciate the top talents and projects in the Bank through Heroes and Champions, where winners receive limited-edition merchandise with the Heroes and Champions brand. This year, winners will receive a Heroes and Champions Swatch watch.
4. Quality Time
In an agile working environment, teams work on different projects simultaneously, and sometimes remotely. Getting together becomes challenging, but regular stand-up and checkpoint meetings are the perfect opportunities for team members and line managers to catch up.
Carpooling, team lunches, team buildings, volunteer work, and interest groups can also be considered as quality time.
5. Physical Touch
Physical touch might be the least popular way to show appreciation in the workplace since boundaries must be kept in mind. But there are more ways than one to express appreciation in a friendly and encouraging manner.
Among the popular ones are pat in the back, high five, fist bump, and if your team is extra, create your team handshake to let them know that they have done a great job.
Benefits of Learning the Languages of Appreciation of Your Colleagues
Feeling loved and appreciated is a fundamental human need. Applying this in the workplace by learning our colleagues’ language of appreciation strengthens the sense of belongingness and makes life at work a more positive experience. It also makes working with your team and other groups easier. It helps break communication barriers and helps teams perform better. Lastly, it helps employees feel a deeper connection to their team and the organization, resulting in a higher employee retention rate.