Chapter 41. Fill Up with Appreciation

It had been weeks since Nancy had sat down with Grandma and Peter. While she still had lunch at the soup house with Kathryn and various employees, her focus was more on spending quality time with her employees than on talking with Grandma and Peter. They would say hello and ask how things were going, but beyond small talk they didn't engage in their usual spirited and informative discussions. But today, Nancy showed up alone. With 50 days left to show positive results to the board of directors, she was sure some ingredients were missing in her soup, and she hoped Grandma and Peter would have some answers.

When they joined her at her favorite table, Nancy shared how the company had just finished her 40 days of engagement initiative. The sales numbers were up, people were excited, trust was at an all-time high, engagement had climbed significantly, and relationships had been strengthened. Yet she was still concerned. She had 50 days remaining, and teamwork and overall performance were not where she had expected them to be. Grandma asked her to explain all the initiatives implemented so far, and Nancy went through them one by one.

"I think I know what is missing," she said, wagging her finger. She had a certain look on her face. It was the "Grandma knows best" look that comes from living a long life full of challenges and lessons learned.

"You're missing the ingredient of appreciation. But here's the great news," Grandma offered enthusiastically. ...

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