The Thanksgiving holiday serves as a perfect backdrop to prime ourselves for grateful thinking and creating a joyful attitude.
It’s easy to be thankful for our family and friends, we love them and they bring so much happiness and meaning to our lives but sometimes being thankful for our coworkers or employees isn’t quite easy and we can forget to share our gratitude. A normal work week is usually forty, fifty and sometimes sixty hours because such a large portion of our time is spent at work so we should be grateful and thankful to those in our office! By bringing gratitude into the workplace, the entire culture of the office will shift. Gratitude is the greatest motivator for employees, even better than money. When employees feel appreciated, they’ll want to continue to work hard and go above and beyond in their assigned tasks and duties. Employees are more likely to stay with a company when they feel appreciated which reduces turnover and the additional expenses associated with hiring and training new employees.
One person can make a difference, and everyone should try
– John F. Kennedy
Take Notice
Pay attention to all of the work being done in the workplace. The focus of many businesses is bottom lines, big pictures, and end results so the day to day work can be overlooked at times. Take a moment to see the small details your co-workers or employees are contributing to the company. After you’ve realized the amount of effort and time that was put into a big department project, say something, acknowledge their work! During the next staff meeting thank the group collectively for all the progress and hard work that contributes to the company’s success.
Be Specific
It’s always great to hear “I appreciate you,” but after a while, it can become redundant and impersonal. Look for specific tasks your staff completed, did they stayed late to help balance the books, accepted additional projects or offered a fresh idea? When saying “thank you,” be specific and sincere, it shows you as a boss are paying attention and that their work is noticed and valued. The specific nature of your “thank you” will be appreciated by your employees and help to build a loyal staff.
Thank Them How They Want To Be Thanked
Some people are shy while others love the limelight, so thanking a quiet employee in a department meeting can make them feel overwhelmed and embarrassed.The goal is to make everyone feel appreciated in ways they can relate to, this will require you to get to know your employees and co-workers. Would a handwritten note be more meaningful or perhaps a thank you over coffee? Knowing your employees will help determine the best way to thank them for all of their hard work. Most people don’t seek out accolades, but it’s always nice and reassuring when someone else notices your work and says “thank you”.
Since we’re on the topic of how appreciation makes people feel, check out these great videos that prove appreciation makes people happier.
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Written by: Zaneta Padilla