What if your top performer is quietly doing the math on when to leave, even while you're celebrating her as Employee of the Year?

This week I sit down with JC Hite, co-owner of Appreciation at Work, fresh off a workshop with one of the fastest-growing therapy clinics in Arkansas. JC breaks down the framework that compounds appreciation — knowing, appreciating, and serving — and tells the story of an award-winning employee who nearly quit because her company confused recognition vs appreciation.

We dig into the six-week rule for staying connected to your team, the five levels of service that separate forgettable interactions from unforgettable ones, and the Gallup data behind it all: 23% higher profitability, 78% lower absenteeism, and 70% more employees who say they're genuinely thriving.

If you've ever wondered whether your culture efforts are actually landing, this conversation will change how you look at every touchpoint with your team.

Interested in more training like this, where you can earn SHRM and HRCI continuing education credit? Check out the Appreciation at Work® HR Professional Membership at https://hr.joinaaw.com/.

You can't promote everyone, and the budget for bonuses only stretches so far, so what do you do for the people who are doing great work but won't see it reflected in a raise?

That's the exact tension Jasmine Liew, founder of Breakthrough Catalyst and Singapore's premier partner for the Five Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace, walked into years ago as an HR leader reading engagement survey results. What she found reshaped how she leads: recognition vs appreciation isn't a semantic debate; recognition is tied to results, but appreciation is something you can offer every single person, every single day, regardless of KPIs.

In this conversation, Jasmine unpacks how the MBA Inventory takes the guesswork out of appreciation, why her own go-to language backfired with her team, and how psychological safety and words of affirmation are helping multigenerational teams push through AI adoption anxiety without feeling judged.

If you've ever felt like you're doing everything right and your team still doesn't feel valued, this episode is your reset.

Connect with Jasmine via LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasmine-liew-psychsafety/ or by email at jasmine@breakthroughcatalyst.org. Her website is breakthroughcatalyst.org.

Interested in more training like this, where you can earn SHRM and HRCI continuing education credit? Check out the Appreciation at Work® HR Professional Membership at https://hr.joinaaw.com/.

If your team isn't feeling it, a generic "great job" email isn't going to fix that. I've seen leaders try, and I've done it myself.

In this episode, I sit down with Jennifer Gray, Chief Deputy Director at Marion County Community Corrections in Indiana and a certified Appreciation at Work facilitator, who has been implementing the Appreciation at Work framework with her 200-person agency for several years.

What Jennifer shares will challenge the way you think about recognition and show you what a genuine workplace appreciation culture actually looks like in practice. You'll hear how her agency went from scattered, one-size-fits-all gestures to intentional, language-specific appreciation that cut turnover, boosted engagement, and earned a 99% "worth my time" rating from staff. If you lead people and care about culture, this one is for you.

Want to learn how Jennifer's agency implemented the Appreciation at Work framework, including the custom training survey they developed? Reach out to Jennifer directly at jennifer.gray@indy.gov. She's generous with her insights and willing to share what's worked.

Interested in more training like this, where you can earn SHRM and HRCI continuing education credit? Check out the Appreciation at Work® HR Professional Membership at https://hr.joinaaw.com/.