The Five Languages of
Appreciation in the
Workplace: Empowering
Organizations by
Encouraging People
Kandi Thomas and Angela Nichols
Tallest Tower
• This exercise is to help build collaboration and
communication.
• Must build the tallest free standing tower with the supplies
in the bags.
• You have 25 minutes to complete this task.
• No questions to the facilitators.
• Good luck!
Tallest Tower Discussion
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How does building the tower in this activity compare
to your daily work? or the way our group is organized?
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How does this activity relate to being part of the
larger company, organization, or group?
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How can we encourage collaboration,
communication, and sharing among the whole group?
Survey – Please take
ten minutes to
complete the survey.
Words of Affirmation
“Words of Affirmation is the language that uses words to
communicate a positive message to another person.”
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Praise for Accomplishments
Affirmation for Character
Praise for Personality
How & Where to Affirm – personal, praise in front of others,
written affirmation, public affirmation
• Missing the Mark: Hollow Praise
• Task: Choose a colleague you feel is deserving and give
them a statement of affirmation within the next two weeks.
Quality Time
“Quality time; giving the person your focused attention.”
• How?
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Maintain eye contact.
Don’t do other things while you are listening.
Listen for feelings as well as thoughts.
Affirm their feelings even if you disagree with their conclusions.
Observe body language.
Resist the impulse to interrupt.
• When, Where, Who?
• Missing the Mark: “I’m Here, Aren’t I?”
• Task: Next time, when talking with a colleague, stop
emailing, texting, and working to just listen to what they
have to say.
Acts of Service
“Providing assistance to one’s colleagues is a powerful
expression of appreciation,”
• Serve Effectively: your responsibilities need to be covered,
ask for help, serve voluntarily, check your attitude, if you are
going to help, do it their way, complete what you start.
• Offices and Classrooms
• Missing the Mark: Begrudging Service
• Task: During a time that you are free of all your
responsibilities, help another staff member out.
Tangible Gifts
“Giving the right gift to a person who appreciates tangible
rewards can send a powerful message of thanks,
appreciation and encouragement.”
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Gifts: The Who and the What
More Than a Mug
“Time Off” as a Gift
Task: Identify not only a person that values tangible gifts, but
also what they would like and provide them with that gift.
Physical Touch
“Appropriate physical contact with colleagues to show
appreciation for a job well done.”
• Time and a Place
• It’s Not for Everyone
• Benefits: positively affect educational learning, emotional
healing, create a sense of acceptance, communicates a
sense of trust, connectedness, and caring.
• Task: Identify one to two team members that their language
is physical touch.
Your Least Valued Language
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The Black Hole of Appreciation
Blind Spot of Appreciation
Choose to Accept Others’ Languages
Speak their Language
Overcoming Your Challenges
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Busyness
Belief that Communicating Appreciation is not Important
Feeling Overwhelmed with Existing Responsibilities
Structural and Logistical Issues
Personal Discomfort with Communicating Appreciation
Fake Factor
What is your language of
appreciation?