Appreciation

I learned that yesterday was Bat Appreciation Day. That’s right. And, there are appreciation days for bosses, secretaries, even hairstyles. If you doubt this, here is a site that list national days: https://www.cute-calendar.com/category/appreciation-days.html#:~:text=An%20appreciation%20day%20is%20a,express%20the%20importance%20for%20society.

There is not, at least in Google, a National Appreciation Day for everything we appreciate. Appreciation is under- (dare I say it?) appreciated. Surveys have revealed that workers value overt expressions of appreciation or praise more than raises. That’s right, people will work for less where they are appreciated and recognized for their contributions.

So, it makes me wonder why bosses don’t spend more time catching and honoring employees who are doing something right. Somewhere they have been trained to think that their job is to catch people making mistakes and to be critical.

Mistakes happen; it’s life. A friend of mine who owned a construction company placed a gong in the lobby of the offices. It was there for employees to ring when they had made a mistake Everyone gathered in the lobby to hear them explain where they had messed up and what they learned from the mistake.

We could apply this to families. You wouldn’t need a gong; just call a family meeting. We would enjoy much more peace in our home life if we could be honest about mistakes in a family that would support the person who made the mistake rather than punish them. And, remember, peace in your community starts with you, then your family, then your community, town or city, state, country, and eventually the world

Tell me what you think about appreciation. Comments are welcome, and shares are gratefully received.