Earlier this year the Academy’s very own Charmaine Utz and Jennifer Tucker-Tatlow wrote an article about the impact of organizational culture on employee growth and well-being. Their work builds on a growing body of research that shows how culture matters more than salary, can serve as a tool for retaining employees, and the toll of a toxic workplace environment. As county leaders, trainers, and coaches, we also make a commitment to supporting a healthy organizational culture through formal and informal trainings, coaching sessions, and activities with staff. While the focus of these conversations is often on what leaders within an organization can do, there is one method that any of us can take to create and sustain a healthy organization: expressing appreciation.

A new study out of UC San Diego found that expressing gratitude, or appreciation, could help people cope better at work. The authors noted that expressing appreciation led to the recipient having a better physiological response to stress, but also suggested that gratitude can help people remember their social resources, or safety networks, as well as increasing their self-confidence. 

Consider the last time you felt appreciated at work. Truly appreciated. What was the occasion? Who appreciated you? How did they tell (or show) you? How did it make you feel? What was the impact on your work? 

While appreciating the people around you is only part of creating a healthy workplace culture, the great thing is that you can pay this feeling forward within your own sphere of influence. The next time you see a colleague or a learner doing something that you appreciate, let them know! Below are a few tips to keep in mind:

• Consider the best method to express your appreciation for that person. Some of us prefer to be told, while others may enjoy a small gift. The 5 Languages of Appreciation at Work blog highlights many ways to appreciate others.
• Appreciate genuinely. It may be tempting to start appreciating everyone around you all the time, but doing so too frequently or just for the sake of expressing appreciation could give the impression that the gesture is inauthentic.
• Be specific about what you appreciate. Specificity helps make your appreciation more authentic simply because it communicates that you took the time to notice what someone did and/or the impact that it had.
• Align your appreciation with the greater Child Welfare community! September is National Child Welfare Workforce Development Month, and the National Child Welfare Workforce Institute (NCWWI) is hosting an Appreciation Week September 12-16, 2022. It is a perfect opportunity to express gratitude and appreciation for all individuals working to support child welfare initiatives.

Kristen Roberts, Practice Coach