Articles

Giving Thanks and Praise at Work

Jana M. Kemp

As the long Thanksgiving Holiday weekend draws to a close, consider how well you are saying “thank you” at work. It’s easy in the busy end-of-year, holiday craziness, and heavy social-commitment time to forget to say thank you to the people we work with every day. And yet, the holiday season is the time that depression tends to strike people. So please, pause and remember to say thank you at work.

How are you saying “thank you” and “I appreciate what you do” at work and to the volunteers that keep your organization working? Saying thank you in person only takes a moment, and yet doing so earns quite a bit of goodwill and good feelings. A written thank you note (no, not e-mailed) is often so appreciated that people keep the note and look at it months, even years later. And yes, an e-mailed thank you is acceptable, just not as cherished as a handwritten note.

Saying “thank you” can also come in these forms: inviting someone to a party, asking someone to represent you at a meeting that you can’t attend, giving someone time to present at a meeting of employees, or presenting a thank you to the person at a meeting. Remember that some people prefer private, personal conversations or handwritten notes of thanks. Other people prefer being thanked in public recognition or with a memento presentation at a meeting.

Low-fee thank you’s come in the form of letters, certificates of appreciation, gift-certificates, office parties, thank you mailers to customers, customer parties, and even “thank you” advertisements placed in newspapers. More expensive forms of thanks include employee benefit package enhancements, and incentive trips for fun or for education.

While at an Idaho Society of Association Executives recently, I heard about a travel trend called “togethering.” Togethering is travel for the purpose of getting together for family reunions, class reunions, and family trips. Can your business tap into this new travel and tourism trend? Or are your employees clamoring for some “togethering” time during this increasingly busy season of holidays?

Thanks for reading this column! And thank you to those of you who call, e-mail and comment on the ideas presented here. Please keep the commentary coming!

ACTION ITEM: Say thank you to your team members, co-workers, and clients more often. Consider whether allowing time for employee “togethering” is one way that you can say “thank you” to your team.
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Reprint Permission: The author is willing to grant reprint permissions. Please contact Jana Kemp: jana@janakemp.com or call 208-367-1701.