We often talk about employee engagement, motivation and retention, but one thing that is frequently overlooked is this: people don’t all receive appreciation in the same way.
Some employees value public recognition and hearing “well done” in front of others. Some prefer quiet one-to-one praise. Others feel most valued when they are trusted with opportunities, included in decisions, given flexibility, supported during difficult times, or simply listened to properly.
🎈 For some, appreciation is time.
🎈 For others, it’s encouragement.
🎈 For others, it’s development, autonomy or feeling genuinely seen.
🎈 Sometimes it’s being asked for their opinion.
🎈 Sometimes it’s simply having their effort acknowledged consistently, not only when results are exceptional.
The challenge is that many leaders appreciate people in the way they personally like to receive appreciation, rather than understanding what matters most to the individual in front of them.
And often, appreciation becomes transactional or reactive. It appears during performance reviews, after major achievements or when morale is visibly low. But meaningful appreciation is not a one-off event. It is built into everyday leadership behaviours.
The small moments matter more than many leaders realise:
- Taking time to check in properly
- Saying thank you specifically, not generically
- Recognising effort as well as outcomes
- Trusting people with responsibility
- Following through on promises
- Creating space for people to contribute and feel heard
When appreciation misses the mark consistently, employees can still feel unseen, even in organisations that genuinely care about their people.
Feeling valued is a fundamental human need. It impacts confidence, motivation, belonging, wellbeing and performance far more than we realise.
When people consistently feel undervalued, the impact quietly builds over time , engagement drops, discretionary effort reduces, confidence declines, resentment grows, and eventually good people begin to disconnect or leave altogether.
Often, employees are not asking for dramatic gestures. They are asking to feel respected, recognised and understood as individuals.
The best leaders understand that appreciation is not about grand speeches or corporate initiatives. It is about paying attention to people consistently enough to know what matters to them.
Think about each person on your team. Do you know how they best receive appreciation? If not, what’s one conversation you can have this week to find out?