MALIBU, Calif., Oct. 3, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Recent U.S. Department of Labor data shows that the number one reason people leave their job is that they do not feel appreciated. Not low pay, not lack of benefits, but lack of appreciation. Customer loyalty is also based on feeling appreciated -- and many customers are feeling greatly under-appreciated these days says Dr. Noelle C. Nelson, author of the new book, The Power of Appreciation in Business: How an Obsession with Value Increases Performance, Productivity and Profits (October 2005, MindLab Publishing, ISBN no. 0-9768073-1-9, paperback, $24.95). Backed by scientific data and real world examples, Nelson's book details specific appreciation techniques to combat employee apathy, poor performance, low motivation, stress, lack of company loyalty, customer indifference, and customer rage.
The Power of Appreciation in Business includes research revealing that companies effectively valuing and appreciating employees enjoy more than triple returns on equity and assets and achieve higher operating margins than companies that do not. It also contains examples from businesses, including Southwest Airlines and See's Candies that use appreciation in the workplace and with their customers. "Businesses that proactively use appreciation attest to its powerful value," says Nelson. "Appreciation, when it becomes part of the corporate culture, can be the secret weapon that propels companies past their competition."
As a psychologist and trial consultant for nearly two decades, Nelson has seen the dark side of business: employees suing employers; customers suing businesses; companies suing each other for an astonishing array of reasons. Says Nelson, "These lawsuits merely highlight the problem everybody knows about but nobody wants to acknowledge: lack of appreciation in the workplace causes employee and customer frustration resulting in crippling performance, productivity and profitability."
Nelson sees workers being ignored, asked to perform jobs without proper guidance, given little feedback so they can do their jobs well, rarely acknowledged for their good work and only singled out when they make mistakes. "This takes its toll on even the most energetic, positive employees," explains Nelson. "Business owners and managers have to ask themselves how much they value their employees and customers. In many cases, the truthful answer would be 'not much'."
According to a Gallup poll, 65 percent of workers say they didn't receive a single word of praise or recognition in the past year. Nelson contends that business, although quick to hand out "Employee of the Month" awards and make other token gestures to their employees, don't know how to use appreciation in a way that will motivate employees. Nelson says the same holds true when it comes to customers. "Although customer satisfaction may be good, customer loyalty is not. Companies don't know how to interact with customers so they want to keep coming back," says Nelson. "Appreciation is an energy--much like gravity or electricity. Deliberately using appreciation and valuing the people in and around a business is a prime component of success."
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