Appreciation

Context

In diverse networks, coalitions, or teams—particularly those working across lines of identity, geography, or discipline—participants bring different histories, worldviews, and ways of contributing. The vitality of a network often depends on its ability to bridge these differences and cultivate the unique gifts of its members.

However, when dominant cultural norms are left unexamined, they can invisibly shape whose contributions are valued, whose presence is normalized, and who feels safe enough to show up fully.

Problem

When appreciation is not intentionally practiced:

Contributions that don’t fit the dominant mold are overlooked or subtly devalued.
Participants feel pressure to conform or perform in ways that mask their identities and dampen their strengths.
The culture becomes transactional or extractive, focused on utility rather than mutual regard.
Trust withers, especially across lines of difference.
The network misses out on the creativity, connection, and resilience that emerge from real diversity.

In the absence of appreciation, diversity becomes a risk instead of a strength.

Forces

Dominant cultural norms (e.g., professionalism, productivity-centered mindsets) often operate unconsciously, setting the baseline for what’s seen as “normal” or “effective.”
People from marginalized identities may already carry risk, trauma, or exhaustion into the space.
Genuine appreciation can be confused with flattery, tokenism, or sentimentality.
Structures of hierarchy or urgency can crowd out space for slowness, recognition, and relationality.

Solution

Practice appreciation deliberately and consistently—not as a performance, but as an ethic.

This means:

Accept people as they are, without requiring assimilation.
Acknowledge and elevate diverse ways of knowing, relating, and creating—including nonverbal, intuitive, emotional, ancestral, or place-based forms.
Decenter dominant norms (e.g. whiteness, formality, urgency) to make room for pluralism.
Create space for public expressions of gratitude and recognition—not only at the end of events, but as part of the daily life of the network.
Ask regularly: Who or what are you appreciating right now?
Make room for mutual appreciation that is specific, genuine, and affirming, even in moments of difficulty.

In doing so, appreciation becomes a social nutrient—a way to reinforce relational trust, support reciprocity, and invite the full presence of each person.

Resulting Context

People feel seen, respected, and free to contribute their full selves.
The group becomes more relationally resilient, able to navigate disagreement without eroding trust.
Contributions multiply in both number and diversity.
Trust builds not just between individuals, but within the culture itself.
The group learns to thrive not in spite of difference, but because of it.