Do you love your work? While we might seem more connected than ever, it’s too easy to feel disconnected and unappreciated at work. You can make more love at work. But to do so, you need to take charge.

According to Toulouse-Lautrec in Moulin Rouge: “The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.” What this means at work: you’ve got to give some in order to get some.

Here are 3 things that can help you and your teammates love work:

1. Meet more often

Regularly scheduled 1-to-1 meetings help you know where you stand. If you don’t already meet weekly with your boss, put something on the calendar. Meet regularly with your teammates too. Share war stories and advice. The less monogamous you are in your 1-to-1 meetings, the better you’ll feel.

2. Recognize great work

It starts with you: when someone you work with does something good, let them know. Let everybody know. They may have fixed an important bug, built an awesome presentation or set up a great team lunch. These achievements are often overlooked, and certainly forgotten when performance reviews roll around. Don’t let good work forever be left unappreciated. When you spread love at work, you’ll feel really good. And you’ll get some love back – which feels even better.

3. Share your work

How can you get recognized for your work if nobody knows what you’re doing? Let others know what you’re working on and share a quick update when you’ve completed it. This will increase your visibility within your team and company. And it eliminates one excuse for sulking in the corner because you don’t feel appreciated. You’ll also find that sharing updates helps you do your job better. You’ll get more, helpful advice. You’ll get better work done, faster. That feels good and so does the recognition that’ll come with it.

Valentines day is just an excuse to write about loving your work, but it’s really something you should prioritize, every day. Here’s why:

• 82% aren’t passionate about their work
• 65% feel they don’t get enough feedback at work
• 17% leave their job due to insufficient recognition
• 51% don’t get enough constructive criticism
• 42% don’t trust their manager
• Happy employees spend 80% of their week on work

If you’re not feeling the love at work, take action and do something about it. Schedule a 1-to-1 with your manager and tell them that you need more feedback. Publicly thank someone on your team for doing great work. Keep your team updated about what you’re working on.

Remember: don’t expect gratification only from the top. While your manager plays a huge role in how much you love your work, so do your teammates.

Happy Valentine’s Day.

Photo of Hearts by Crafting with Cat Hair. Licensed under CC.