March 4 is Employee Appreciation Day. Halo.com says, “Employee Appreciation Day is one of the best annual opportunities for managers, company leadership and HR to reinforce the importance of appreciating employees.”

 

I am a complete believer in appreciation. I’ve written about it. I teach it to managers. I want leaders to express it regularly.

 

For some reason, this holiday is striking a chord with me this year. Maybe it’s because I read or talk about burnout every day and not seeing much improvement. Maybe it’s because engagement statistics are only at 33% in the US. Maybe it’s because so many leaders are tired of feeling tired all the time and have little energy left for appreciation.

 

Here’s the thing…appreciation is so easy. It begins with a simple Thank You. It begins by acknowledging the other humans on your team and demonstrating that you see them, even if it is only on a computer screen.

 

I think it’s affecting me this year because it kind of feels like Valentine’s Day—a commercially manufactured holiday to remind you to do what you should be doing throughout the whole year.

 

So, please, if you are a leader and expressing appreciation is lacking or waning in your leadership practice, acknowledge your team members on Friday. Heck, put it on the first Friday of every month as your own personal reminder to value your colleagues. If you need ideas for how to express it, check out 51 Employee Appreciation Day Ideas That Won’t Break the Bank.