New Appreciation at Work Leaders Aim to Build on Work of Founder Dr. Paul White
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Dr. Paul White, Founder of Appreciation at Work, will focus on writing and speaking while the new owners leverage their digital marketing, franchise, and executive coaching experience to take the business of appreciation to the next level. Click here to subscribe to RRN weekly, and here for an RRN media kit.
Wichita-based Appreciation at Work may be the first in the recognition field to be acquired by executives from the marketing, franchise, and executive coaching world.
After 14 years since founding Appreciation at Work, Dr. Paul White has announced his retirement from day-to-day leadership to serve in his new role as Founder and President-Emeritus. In this capacity, he will continue to share his wisdom and insights through ongoing speaking and writing. During his leadership, he built a business based on selling over 600,000 copies of 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace, developing his MBA inventory of languages of appreciation with data from over 400,000 people, and developing a train-the-trainer model with over 1,300 certified professionals.
The new owners are Dr. William Attaway, an executive coach and leadership strategist who specializes in helping digital-marketing and service-agency leaders scale their businesses. He co-leads Appreciation at Work with J.C. Hite,founder of Hite Digital, a Little-Rock-based digital marketing agency and franchise business with extensive expertise in scaling businesses. Traditionally, such companies are purchased by other incentive and recognition companies or private equity firms. Attaway and White recently participated in an Enterprise Engagement Alliance Stakeholder Management Forum YouTube Show on Creating a Culture of Appreciation.Dr. White’s pioneering research on appreciation in the workplace has transformed how many teams and leaders connect, communicate, and thrive together, the company says. “His work has helped countless organizations affirm the value of every person, not just for what they do, but for who they are.”
“It has been one of the great privileges of my life to see how The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace have transformed relationships and cultures across industries and around the world,” says White. “I am deeply grateful for the thousands of leaders and teams who have embraced these principles, and I have full confidence that William and JC will continue to build on this foundation in new and exciting ways.”
“Dr. White’s research and heart for people have inspired millions,” says Attaway. “We are honored to carry that mission forward. Our goal is to build on his strong foundation, introducing new ways to help leaders and teams express authentic appreciation and strengthen their workplace cultures.”As part of this transition, Attaway and Hite, who is also founder of Scale with Stability Summit, will focus on an “exciting new season of growth and innovation while staying deeply rooted in the principles that have guided AAW from the beginning.”
Hite adds, “Recruiting and retaining incredible talent will be one of the cornerstones of business growth, even more so with the innovation of AI. I’ve yet to see an organization that embodies this better than Appreciation at Work. The principles Dr. White created go beyond recognition; they build trust, belonging, and purpose. I’m honored to help carry that mission forward into the next generation of workplaces.”
As part of its expanded outreach, the company has launched a series of webinars, "Stronger Teams Start with Appreciation: How Intentional Appreciation Drives Retention, Recruitment, and Remote Results". The next free webinar is Nov. 20 at 3-4 pm ET. It is SHRM and HRCI approved for 1 credit.
Register here.
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