Loren Crary

Working with and building communities can feel like you are always short of resources - money, time, energy, and motivation - but there's a resource you can invest in your community that you already have in abundance. Injecting this resource into your work will increase participation, improve results, and support the longevity of your work. It will even make you happier every time you use it. You will never run out of it, and in fact the more you give away, the more you are likely to get. It's appreciation! We all know thanking and acknowledging the people who contribute to our projects, events, and communities is important. But how many times can we say the words "thank you" before they start to feel empty or like a rote checking of a box? Sharing appreciation effectively is a skill you can improve and a simple habit you can build into your interactions that can have dramatic impacts. In this session we will start by considering the (sometimes unexpected!) ways expressing appreciation more often and more effectively can improve any community you are a part of, including your person happiness. We'll then break down what makes a good compliment or thank you, and you'll get a few simple templates you can use right away. Finally, we'll talk about how to make appreciation a routine, reflexive part of your professional and personal life that you can take with you and pay forward.