There are many ways and reasons to show love in February. From Valentine’s Day to Love Your Pet Day, love is in the air. But what about loving our work, our coworkers and business partners, our customers, and our businesses? How can we express love at work?
When it comes to expressing love at work, Gary Chapman, creator of The Five Love Languages, gives us a framework for how to express it through words, gifts and actions in his book, The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace: Empowering Organizations by Encouraging People, co-authored by Paul White.
The Five Workplace Love Languages
- Words of Affirmation = Positive Feedback, Encouragement, Appreciation, Respect, and Mentorship
- Quality Time = Undivided Attention, Shared Moments and Activities, Relationship Building, and Workplace Bonding
- Receiving Gifts = Personal and Professional Milestones, and New Opportunities and Challenges
- Acts of Service = Acts of Kindness, Generosity, Help and Support
- Physical Touch = Metaphorical Hugs, Understanding, Eye Contact, Leaning In, Great Customer Service
In his book, Hug Your Customers, author Jack Mitchell didn’t only mean physical hugs. ”The very word ‘hugging’ implies actual touching.” That’s not only what Jack Mitchell means by it. Jack likes to say: “You listen, you learn, you hug.” He defines hugging as a mindset more than a physical act. It’s a novel way of thinking about customers and delivering over-the-top service. To him, hugging is a softer word for passion and relationships. It’s a way of getting close to your customers and truly understanding them.
An act of kindness, empathy, respect and appreciation will make somebody’s day.
Here Are 30 Ways to Say I Love You in Business
- Celebrate someone
- Do something for someone
- Give someone your undivided attention
- Give people the benefit of the doubt
- Give them something to look forward to
- Send a physical gift
- Make a donation in their honor
- Be generous
- Be kind
- Show appreciation
- Show respect
- Speak from your heart
- Give them something they can use
- Send a link to a song that will uplift them
- Congratulate and celebrate a personal milestone
- Give comfort
- Wish someone a happy birthday
- Make a donation in someone else’s name
- Volunteer your time
- Send a valentine’s card
- Congratulate and celebrate a professional milestone
- Wear your heart on your sleeve
- Write a letter of reference or recommend them on LinkedIn
- Make an introduction to someone that can help them
- Leave a positive review for great customer service you receive
- Hold the door or elevator for someone
- Compliment the author of an article you like
- Thank someone for motivating you to try something new
- Retweet or share something from a colleague
- Reach out to a former boss and say thank you
From people we’ve never told, to those we don’t tell often enough, now is a great time to be speaking more love languages at work.
If you liked 30 Ways to Say I Love You in Business, you may also enjoy:
Love, Heart, Chocolate … and Business
Love, Chocolate, and Business, Revisited
The Happiness Factor of Chocolate
The Emotion You Can’t Ignore in Business
