Is Your Culture Based on Appreciation?

(By Buzz Knight) There are many important core values that should permeate your organization. Transparency is important so the organization always knows where the business is headed.

From transparency comes a great funnel of communication where the mission is always very clear. Empathy is always an important core value that guides the mission thru good and bad times.

At its core, one value that is crucial for a successful organization is appreciation.
If you are in a key leadership position that can make a difference challenge yourself to evaluate whether you can build a greater culture of appreciation to drive your organization.

Appreciation is one of the simplest examples of practicing strong etiquette skills in today’s complex world.

So if it is so simple why is it often a missing link from how today’s leaders frame their mission?

Unfortunately, leaders often just “check the box” when they are considering what core values are most important to their future success and they miss the importance of appreciation.

Appreciation can drive an organization from top to bottom, inside the entity and outside as well.

Inside an organization some areas to consider are:
– Does your team celebrate and acknowledge great moments of success and thereby showcasing great efforts of performance within your entire building?
– This is like an internal bragging book that lives and breathes somewhere physically in your office space.
– Does your team celebrate and share great content that has been created as a statement of appreciation?
– Does leadership show appreciation for ratings and revenue victories?

Those victories should never be taken for granted. Appreciation that is expressed among all aspects of the organization and across departments is a contagious fuel for a great culture.

Every department, from on-air, to sales, to promotions, to production, to engineering, to digital, to traffic, to accounting and everything in between deserves acknowledgement and appreciation.

External delivery of appreciation is also vital to the culture of organizations and should be steeped in well honed etiquette skills as well.

Appreciation for what clients and partners mean to the success of an entity.
Appreciation for the audience and their loyalty. These are vital factors in how brands are perceived. Appreciation for the community is equally important.

Everything should pass thru the filter of appreciation to be certain this aspect of operating IS the culture.

This is your opportunity to define the heart and soul of your organization for the years ahead.

Buzz Knight is the CEO of Buzz Knight Media and can be reached by e-mail at [email protected]