Third, meaningful appreciation has to be authentic. If employees start to sense that everyone receives appreciation for the smallest accomplishments—“thanks for coming to work today”—appreciation inflation sets in, and the currency becomes worthless. Nor can appreciation be issued through gritted teeth: “I can’t believe I inherited such a screwup, but I need to check this appreciation box, so, uh, good work!” Nobody’s fooled, and now they trust you even less.
