Page 160 - Appreciative Leadership

The Courage of Inspiration 133

Think about the stories that surround you. What

PAUSE
stories do people tell about your team, organiza-
tion, or community? What story do you wish they
were telling? As you read this chapter, imagine what might
inspire them to tell a more life-affi rming, more hopeful
story.

Appreciation: The Fuel of High Performance

Appreciation, a free and available source of inspiration, is underuti-
lized in many organizations and communities. We asked members of
three different departments at a major health center what they wanted

more of at work. They all said, the feeling of being valued. People want

to be valued for who they are and what they do. And yet many lead-
ers and managers are of the opinion that giving appreciation is not in
their job description. Does this sound familiar? “Why should I say
thank you to people for doing their job?” It is an old paradigm that
still pervades the workplace: a demoralizing and dehumanizing per-
spective that smothers the creative spirit.
Appreciative Leadership is generous with appreciation. Sincere

words of encouragement make a positive difference. One focus group
participant shared this experience:

Having been absent from the workforce for 14 years to raise
my children, I took a job as a part-time coordinator for a very
prestigious organization. I felt totally out of my league, but
I really wanted to do a good job. It was the end of my very
first day on the job, and I was walking to my car when one of

the board members—a very well known and respected