Posted by Story in today’s Sunday NYT from Emma Goldberg, “Why Your Boss Wants to Know Your Love Language,” about how a mining company called Pete Lien & Sons is leveraging love languages to improve communication with employees by understanding how they’d prefer to receive motivation.
Married couples are who usually goes through this process, knowing each other’s love language — and it goes both ways. Giving and receiving. How do you show love? And how do you like to receive love? There are five of these love languages: words of affirmation, acts of service, receiving gifts, quality time, and physical touch.
This system was developed by Dr. Gary Chapman in a 1992 book called, “The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate.”
As Goldberg explains in her article, Pete Lien & Sons has developed a system of stickers placed on safety helmets to communicate publicly what the employee’s preferred love language is. The people quoted in the piece say it’s transformed the company culture, and I believe it.
Most of the time companies focus on leadership style, personality or what they prefer to do – all valid. However, recognizing differences in how individuals want to be rewarded when they do a good job is an important orchestra, I believe, for the manager, director, leader to conduct.
Although, to be honest, I’m pretty sure ‘physical touch’ can be eliminated from the list because, well, work.
Everything else though? Legit.
ryanwelton.com 