The power of appreciation: Mike Robbins at TEDxBellevue

Key Concepts:

• Appreciation vs. Recognition
• Productivity and Value
• Practices for Expressing Appreciation
• Receiving Compliments Graciously

1. Introduction: The Power of Appreciation

• The speaker opens by asking the audience to reflect on times they lost something and then appreciated it more.
• He introduces the topic as the power of appreciation, stemming from the loss of his professional baseball career.

2. The Loss of a Baseball Career

• The speaker recounts his baseball journey: drafted by the New York Yankees out of high school, played at Stanford, and then drafted by the Kansas City Royals.
• He signed a pro contract with the Royals and worked his way up through the minor league system.
• His career ended abruptly in his third season in the minors when he blew out the ligaments in his elbow while pitching.

3. Regret and Realization

• After his career ended, he questioned whether he had any regrets.
• His biggest regret was not fully appreciating his baseball career while it was happening.
• He was too focused on "making it" and constantly compared himself to others, feeling he wasn't good enough.
• He realized he missed the point of enjoying the journey.

4. Transition to Studying Appreciation

• After baseball, he worked for a startup in San Francisco and began studying appreciation.
• He became fascinated by how appreciation impacted relationships and teams, drawing parallels to team dynamics in sports.
• He studied positive psychology, emotional intelligence, and group dynamics.
• He quit his job to focus on appreciation full-time and wrote a book titled Focus on the Good Stuff.

5. The Impact of Appreciation in Organizations

• He has traveled the world speaking about appreciation to companies like Google, GAP, Wells Fargo, Adobe, and the San Francisco Giants.
• These organizations understand the importance of appreciation based on social psychology research.
• A Department of Labor study found that 64% of people who left their jobs did so because they didn't feel appreciated or valued.
• Feeling valued was more important than salary or the work itself.

6. Recognition vs. Appreciation

• The speaker emphasizes the distinction between recognition and appreciation.
• Recognition: Positive feedback based on results or performance. It's motivating but finite, scarce, and top-down. Tom Peter's quote: "Celebrate what you want to see more of."
• Appreciation: More about people, less about what they do. It's more expansive and focuses on who people are.

7. Baseball Example: Appreciation in Failure

• He uses an example from his baseball career to illustrate the difference.
• When a pitcher performs poorly, they are publicly removed from the game, which is embarrassing.
• He contrasts this with late-game removals when he performed well and received high-fives.
• He highlights the lack of support and appreciation he received after poor performances.
• He emphasizes that he needed appreciation for who he was as a person, not recognition for his performance.

8. Research on Productivity and Value

• He cites research from UC Berkeley's Haas Business School on motivation and productivity.
• Feeling recognized for work led to a 23% increase in effectiveness and productivity.
• Feeling valued and cared for led to a 43% increase in effectiveness and productivity.
• There was a 20% increase in productivity from focusing on who people are, not just what they do.

9. Practical Steps to Express Appreciation

• Look for it: "You almost always find what you look for." Recognize the value of any human being at any time for any reason.
• Create practices: Make a commitment to express appreciation. Put it in your calendar as a reminder.
• Receive compliments graciously: Say "Thank you" and stop there. Avoid arguing with or diminishing the compliment.

10. The Story of His Mother and Chicken Soup for the Soul

• He shares a personal story about his mother, who passed away two years prior, and their complicated relationship.
• He wrote a story called "Mom Taught Me to Play Baseball" for Chicken Soup for the Single Parent Soul.
• He kept the story a secret for 14 months until the book was published.
• He gave his mother the book as a gift and asked her to read the story aloud.
• His mother was deeply moved when she realized the story was about her and that he wrote it.
• Giving his mother that gift and appreciating her in that way was the most meaningful aspect of the experience.

11. Conclusion: The Gift of Appreciation

• The speaker concludes by emphasizing the power of appreciation, whether expressed in big or small ways.
• Taking the time to find and acknowledge the things we appreciate about others is a great gift for them and for ourselves.

Synthesis/Conclusion:

The speaker emphasizes the profound impact of appreciation, distinguishing it from mere recognition. He argues that valuing individuals for who they are, rather than solely for their performance, significantly boosts productivity and strengthens relationships. He provides actionable steps for cultivating appreciation, including actively seeking it, establishing consistent practices, and gracefully accepting compliments. The personal anecdote about his mother underscores the lasting impact of expressing heartfelt appreciation, highlighting its power to create meaningful connections and leave a lasting legacy.