Do you know how you, your colleagues, and your loved ones like to be appreciated?
The 5 Love Languages were created to help couples communicate and build stronger relationships, but the same tool is just as powerful for teams, leaders and people managers too.
Check out the definitions to learn more about your new leadership superpower.
Words of Affirmation
Values written and verbal acknowledgments, authentic encouragement, affection and appreciation. They also love giving and receiving shout outs.
Action: Celebrate the achievements of your loved ones and teammates by sending them an unexpected message.
Quality Time
Values meaningful conversations, shared activities and when someone, whether it’s a partner, colleague or friend, wants to spend time with them.
Action: Put down your phone and listen, we mean REALLY listen.
Physical Touch
Values physical signs of appreciation. Most commonly shown through body language.
Action: Pay attention to your body language and subtly mirror the actions of the person you’re speaking to.
Acts of Service
Values when someone goes out of their way to make their life easier, for example, helping them with a project or picking up lunch when they’ve had a busy day.
Action: Make a fellow human their favourite drink. Small acts of kindness go a long way.
Receiving Gifts
Values thoughtful gifts and visual symbols of affection. It’s not about the monetary value but the symbolic thought behind the item.
Action: Do some research before you give a birthday gift. What came up in your last conversation? Do they have an obsession with sloths? What do they enjoy doing at the weekend?
Curious? Take this short quiz to discover your primary love language and how you can use it to better connect with the humans around you.
