The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.
~ William James
In high performance team cultures where not everyone can be in their preferred roles, team members often begin to question whether they matter to our goals and our way. When this happens, confidence, effort, and engagement all diminish. But when team members know that they matter—regardless of role or position—their abilities and their contribution to our team grow exponentially.
This is what we call a Culture of Appreciation, meaning two things:
- Team members are noticed and needed because of the value that they add to our goals and our way.
- Team members grow in value, developing mental, physical, and emotional strengths and skills through the experience.
When team members feel valued, add value, and grow in value, they can move beyond themselves to a cause greater than themselves.
We explore:
- The foundational issue of mattering in individuals, and its impact on high-performing teams.
- The three aspects of appreciation in team culture: feeling valued by teammates and coaches, adding value to our goals and our way, and growing in value from the experience.
- The Team Value Added Audit as a way to dialogue about how we add value to and detract from the team’s goals and way.