Case Study · Commercial Vehicle Manufacturing

How Daimler Truck North America Built a More Personal Culture of Appreciation

A 45-minute leadership session grew into a three-hour workshop, then a learning pathway with the reach to train almost 1,000 people.

Organization: Daimler Truck North America
Industry: Commercial Vehicle Manufacturing
Challenge: Making appreciation more personal and meaningful
Approach: Appreciation at Work Training + Certified Facilitators

The Challenge

24,000 Employees, and One-Size-Fits-All Recognition Wasn’t Enough

Daimler Truck North America wanted employees to experience appreciation in a more personal way.

With more than 24,000 corporate and manufacturing employees, a one-size-fits-all approach to recognition wasn’t enough. Leaders wanted to help managers and teams understand that people experience appreciation differently, and communicate it in ways that felt more meaningful.

The Approach

From One Book to a Learning Pathway

Leaders read the book

Senior leaders read The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace and completed the accompanying assessment.

Facilitators in-house

That interest grew into an internal training program led by Certified Appreciation at Work Facilitators.

45 minutes to 3 hours

A leadership session became a workshop on appreciation languages, personal communication, feedback, and what makes employees feel valued.

Part of a learning pathway

In 2024 the program joined the Inspired Teams Learning Pathway: nearly 200 employees across three locations took part.

Employees weren’t simply completing a training. They were beginning to use the language of appreciation in everyday interactions.

What Changed

What Early Feedback Indicated

Truck drivers, mechanics, and leaders took part and connected the training to their own work. Employees received stickers showing their primary appreciation language, and soon asked for their secondary language too.