Death By Appreciation

There’s a saying amongst our FLIP’D team members …

 No one has ever died of an overdose of appreciation.

These words are the secret sauce sprinkled into every conversation with FLIP’D staffers and suppliers and baked into every coaching program served up to clients.

For sales leaders and corporate executives to have any chance of maximizing the performance of others their people first must feel they are appreciated by the people they report to.

While food, shelter, and clothing are universal biological needs; emotional needs are the strongest drivers of human behaviors.

Highly regarded life coach, Greg Harden and the author of the book, Stay Sane in an Insane World, finds the answers to the question, “what do you think all people need to make their lives work?” fall into four buckets he refers to as,  “The Four A’s”

Attention

We all need attention. The lack of it is isolation; and extended isolation will cause a person to be depressed and withdrawn.

Affection

Affection is essential as food and water. Animal research revealed the brains, spines, and internal organs of young monkeys in the test group denied of all forms of love were severely stunted and never developed to full size.  

Approval

A “chip on your shoulder” will never show up on any medical x-ray; but the need for approval is one of the strongest driving forces for people. Be on guard to not place too many conditions on how your approval is given.  

Acceptance

While approval is often based on conditional love, acceptance is truly unconditional. Taking people as they are and working to find the best approach to maximize their skills and potential.  

Undoubtedly, the Four A’s are a critical component for leaders to understand themselves and how their team members’ motivations are formed.