Appreciation Month: A 30-Day Challenge to Build a Culture of Gratitude
Start small. Appreciate big. Transform your workplace in just 30 days!
Deadline to sign up - March 21st
Challenge Kick Off - April 1st
This FREE 30-Day Challenge takes place in the EX Leadership Network & HeyTaco, a peer-to-peer recognition platform
What is Appreciation Month?
Appreciation Month is a free, 30-day challenge designed to help People & Culture/HR leaders build a sustainable habit of gratitude and launch a meaningful recognition program—without requiring a big budget or extensive planning.
With expert guidance from achieve Engagement & HeyTaco, you’ll get a step-by-step roadmap, peer support, and engaging activities to make appreciation a core part of your workplace culture.
Here's What You'll Learn & Build During The Appreciation Month Challenge
Week 1:
Start with Meaningful and Frequent Recognition
📌 Focus: Build the habit of regular, thoughtful appreciation.
This week is all about making recognition a daily habit—but not just any recognition. Instead of a simple “thank you,” you’ll practice meaningful appreciation by calling out specific actions and their impact. The goal? To make recognition more frequent, personal, and powerful.
Week 2:
Tie Recognition to Core Values
📌 Focus: Align appreciation with what your company stands for.
Recognition is even more powerful when it reinforces company values. This week, you’ll practice using Taco Tags to connect appreciation to what matters most—whether it’s #Collaboration, #CustomerFirst, or #Innovation. By doing so, you’ll help shape a values-driven culture where appreciation strengthens the behaviors you want to see.
Week 3:
Build Recognition Rituals
📌 Focus: Make appreciation a lasting, embedded part of your culture.
For recognition to stick, it needs to become a ritual—a natural part of your team’s day-to-day interactions. This week, you’ll experiment with fun and simple ways to integrate appreciation into meetings, Slack discussions, or company-wide gatherings.
Week 4:
Celebrate the Givers
📌 Focus: Recognize the people who lift others up.
The best cultures of appreciation don’t just celebrate achievements—they celebrate generosity. This week, you’ll turn the spotlight on the top recognition givers, acknowledging those who take time to lift others up and spread gratitude.
By the End of the Challenge…
✅ You’ll have built a strong foundation for a lasting culture of appreciation.
✅ Your team will feel more valued, connected, and engaged.
✅ Recognition will no longer feel like an extra task—it will be a natural part of how your team operates.
Ready to level up your culture of appreciation?
How the Challenge Works
📅 Kickoff: April 1st
Receive a structured plan with key checkpoints, weekly challenges, and engagement tactics.
📩 Weekly Support for Admins & Leaders
Best practices, engagement tips, and inspiration sent straight to your inbox.
Milestone celebrations: Engaging leadership, recognizing top givers, and celebrating team participation.
🎉 End-of-Month Celebration Event
Recognize & Celebrate Participating Companies
Review Lessons Learned & Best Practices
Explore the Data-Driven Impact Insights
Review Recognition Program Research & Strategies
Announcement of Challenge Results
Meet Your Partners
Achieve Engagement
A global community of HR executives, EX strategists, and culture-driven leaders dedicated to transforming the world of work. With 30,000+ program alumni and access to top-tier EX experts, Achieve Engagement provides insights, connections, and strategies to elevate workplace culture and drive meaningful change.
HeyTaco
A peer-to-peer recognition platform that makes appreciation fun, easy, and impactful. Integrated into Slack & Microsoft Teams, employees can send “tacos” to recognize and celebrate each other—turning appreciation into a daily habit that strengthens team culture.
How to Sign Up & Get Started
Join the Challenge in 3 Simple Steps:
1️⃣ Register now – Get instant access to onboarding details.
2️⃣ Set up HeyTaco – Quick & simple, no tech expertise needed.
3️⃣ Kick off on April 1 – Start recognizing and building appreciation habits with weekly toolkits and resources leaving you empowered to make an impact!
🌟 It’s free to participate, and you’re not required to continue using HeyTaco afterward
Sign Up Now and start building a workplace where people feel valued and thrive!
What You’ll Get
✅ Expert Guidance – Weekly emails, structured resources, and a step-by-step approach to building a recognition habit.
✅ Engagement Strategies – Tactics to involve managers, encourage peer-to-peer appreciation, and reinforce company values.
✅ Internal Comms Toolkit – Templates & resources to seamlessly launch and sustain participation.
✅ Live Session & Community Support – Connect with other HR leaders, share insights, and learn best practices.
What’s Required?
⚡ Quick & Easy Setup:
Slack or Microsoft Teams as your organizations’ communication platform.
Install HeyTaco (Takes just 30 seconds!)
Announce the challenge using provided templates.
Apply weekly tips to boost engagement & recognition.
📊 Track Your Team’s Progress:
Challenge engagement
Recognition messages exchanged
Tacos per capita (peer-to-peer recognition activity)
Beyond the Challenge – Sustaining Recognition with the Temple Framework
This challenge is just the beginning! Move through three key stages to build a thriving appreciation culture:
🏛 Recognition – Frequent, meaningful appreciation embedded into daily interactions.
🔁 Rituals – Structured traditions like town halls, shoutouts, and recognition moments.
🎁 Rewards – Thoughtful incentives that reinforce company values.