Appreciation, the Key to Successful Collaboration

Image Credit: quotesfans

Posted by: Albert Weng

"When is the last time you express your sincere appreciation to others?" If the answer is more than a week, or even longer, you got to pay serious attention, because this could cause a huge disadvantage and even damage to your career and very likely to life, too.

The Problem of Making (Good) Appreciation

A glimpse from the backgrounder. In some of the traditions and cultures, showing appreciation also means there's one party (very often to be seen as the person-in-trouble or victim-like) who needs help (some think "rescue"), therefore, the other party extends their hand to fix or secure something for the first party. Deep inside the mindset who comes from the kind of background, think they can't express appreciation too often which might result in an impression that they're person-in-trouble or the most unwanted image of a victim / loser/ incapable ones and alike. Is this something similar to yours?

Why Making (Good) Appreciation is Critical at Present and Beyond

A deeper view of the backgrounder. In this high pace era where everything runs like a laser, multiple assignments which keep everyone a busy man at all time, and social entertainment at the fingertips will also distract every possible minute for just a stupid touch to have a good time/ break. These mean, to grab the attention and have their focus on whatever you're working with them, are getting harder and harder. Simply put, they can easily walk away without even a notice, and you won't get them back if the first impression was built on such short and meaningless interaction.

The insight here, people spend their time and attention to those they found useful, meaningful or if all failed to meet the above, the last chance is on those they received the appreciations. Therefore, to work better in a workplace where authority is no longer available most of the time (this is a trend toward project management working style emerged in recent years), showing immediate, sincere and meaningful appreciation is key to adapt into this work style. This also means, appreciation works best in collaboration.

The Key to Making (Good) Appreciation

1) Pay attention to other's work
The key step and starting point is to pay attention to the diversified angles/ aspects of other's work. When you're able to do the followings:
- Discover the many details from the idea (an original or copycat, but maybe a good one)
- The design of its structure;
- The way it was presented/ rolled out
- The strategy to get the result in both how it is delivered and communicated;
- The special/ new attempt(s) from this work by this author/ owner, etc.

To find the details such like the above, you might probably get into a level called "hey, I think I know what you're working on, my partner!" Then you're on the right track to go to next.

And, if you don't really know their work in detail from a particular/ professional angle, your feedback and appreciation is more likely to fall into a fake one as perceived.

Insight:
The more detail you can go into your own work, the more likely you'll be able to figure out a similar level of the detail from others.

1) Find the possible value/ special effort and feedback immediately
In many cases, if one points out a specific finding from one work which was a thoughtful endeavor by just mentioning the find out, the one who made that extra effort considered respectful and appreciated. Yes, that simple, no flirting words required.

2) Keep the feedback short, simple and meaningful on the work
Make a sincere appreciation is most helpful, instead of a well-crafted one, people tend to think that's over intentionally (and negatively, too). Create the (meaningful) link from the point/ value you discovered in their work or workplace (organization) will advance your feedback to a more pleasing level. Sometimes you might help to make the new benefit/ value for him/ her.

3) Link your feedback/ appreciation to enhance the future relationship
For any form or relationship you have with the other person/ party, if your appreciation is able to link to the enhancement of a future relationship, it's always a precious interaction in between.

Start making appreciation every day, then every task all around you, you'll then, received the same quality of momentum on appreciation to advance in the future.