A Complete Guide to Showing Appreciation in Meetings

It’s extremely important to learn how to show appreciation in the workplace, especially as a manager or leader. Showing your appreciation for your employees or team members can boost morale in the workplace, increase overall happiness and retention, and aid in creating stronger relationships with your colleagues. 

In this article, we’ll dive into the benefits of showing appreciation at work, cover the ways you can show appreciation to your team members, and outline examples you can leverage to show your appreciation for your teammates. 

• Benefits of showing appreciation to team members
• 6 ways to show appreciation to team members 
• Examples of messages for appreciating teams 

Benefits of showing appreciation to team members

Showing your appreciation to your team members makes them feel valued and drives them to do their best work. Feeling appreciated at work boasts numerous benefits, including an increased sense of psychological safety, overall happiness, improved collaboration, and more engaged employees. Additional benefits include increased productivity (which also increases profitability), a more pleasant work environment, a stronger company culture, and improved retention.

Show appreciation in meetings

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6 ways to show appreciation to team members 

• Ask your team members how they prefer to receive recognition 
• Choose the moment 
• Use their name 
• Make your gratitude clear 
• Share the impact of their work
• Reinforce the message 

1Ask your team members how they prefer to receive recognition 

Not everyone likes to receive recognition in the same way. Some teammates may prefer an intimate “thank you” during a weekly one-on-one meeting, whereas others may prefer a public shoutout via a channel like Slack. Take the time to learn what matters most to your teammates. Your gratitude will mean that much more when you deliver it in a way that speaks most to the individual. If you aren’t sure what their preference is, consider checking in and chatting about it at the end of your one-on-one. Have an open and honest conversation and get to know their preferences. They’ll appreciate your effort, and this approach will demonstrate empathy. 

Pro tip: Use Fellow’s Comments & Reactions to show appreciation in meetings by adding comments or celebratory Emojis to talking points!

2Choose the moment 

As stated above, not all your teammates will not appreciate the same delivery. When showing your appreciation for a team member, it’s important to choose the moment wisely. One of your teammates may appreciate a public announcement in front of your entire team, whereas another may prefer an intimate thank you during your next one-on-one meeting. Whether you choose to show your appreciation during a one-on-one or during a company-wide meeting, it’s important that you choose the moment that you believe the teammate in question would appreciate most. 

3Use their name 

The quickest way to make someone feel comfortable and appreciated is to know and use their name. Using a person’s name in conversation has several benefits. It creates a culture of respect, recognition, and consideration, and this becomes even more true when you’re showing your appreciation for a team member. This simple yet effective gesture assures your teammates you value them as individuals, which is critical in relationship building at work. Remember, using someone’s name in a one-on-one environment is just as important as it is in a group setting, and using people’s names and thanking each contributor individually are especially important when thanking a group. 

4Make your gratitude clear 

If you don’t take the time to express your gratitude clearly, you may as well not do it at all. For your recognition to come off as genuine and appreciative, you need to clearly express your gratitude and let your employee or teammate know exactly what you’re thankful for. This can be done by simply telling them what you’re thankful for, writing a gratitude letter or note, or even giving a gratitude gift. It’s important that you choose the approach that you believe would resonate most with the person in question. 

5Share the impact of their work

Suppose your team exceeds your expectations by overcoming monumental challenges when working on a project. Letting your team members know you appreciate their tenacity and sharing the impact of their work with the organization at large will demonstrate your appreciation for their hard work while demonstrating that you’re a hands-on manager. 

6Reinforce the message 

Sometimes a simple message doesn’t hit home. If you feel as though your employees or teammates may not recognize the importance of their contributions, it’s important to reinforce the message. After you’ve shown your appreciation, express your gratitude again at a later date. If one of your colleagues has created a process or system that has made your life easier, send them a simple message and let them know when you use it. These simple yet meaningful gestures may go a long way in brightening someone’s day. 

Examples of messages for appreciating teams 

• “Congratulations on your recent success. I look forward to continuing to work with you in the future.”
• “Thank you for your hard work this past week. Your dedication helped us reach our goals and secure a client.”
• “I appreciate you taking the time to help us meet our deadlines. We couldn’t have completed this project without you.” 
• “You set a phenomenal example for your teammates. We value your dedication, enthusiasm, and close attention to detail.” 
• “The work you’ve done this quarter is invaluable to our organization. I’m incredibly grateful to have you as part of my team.” 
• “You should be proud of the skills you’ve developed over the past 6 months. Your skills and contributions to our team are greatly appreciated.” 
• “Thank you for being a source of strength to your teammates. Your ability to remain calm and focused during high-pressure situations is incredibly admirable.” 
• “I want to offer my sincerest gratitude for your work and contributions to our team. Your contributions do not go unnoticed, and we couldn’t be more grateful to have you on our team.”

Are you expressing gratitude for your teammates? 

In conclusion, showing your employees that you appreciate them will do wonders for your organization. Not only will you improve engagement, retention, productivity, and morale, but you will also build more strengthened relationships while positively impacting your organization’s bottom line. Remember, there are numerous ways you can show your appreciation for your employees or teammates. You can express your gratitude verbally, give them a gift, offer them a bonus or incentive, host an event, organize a happy hour, or even provide professional development opportunities. A little goes a long way, and it’s important to make sure you do your best to express your thanks and gratitude.