Articles

A Weekend of Thanks

Jana M. Kemp

With retail shopping officially in full holiday swing, did you and yours take time to give thanks for all the goodness that is in your lives, in your community and in your workplace?

Speaking of workplaces and the holiday season, how well is appreciation being shown in your organization? Consider the way that donors, contributors, customers, vendors, employees, community partners, business partners and stakeholders are being thanked. Do they know how much you appreciate their roles in your organization’s success?

Customers can be thanked with notes and cards, with philanthropic gifts given in their names, and with parties and open houses. Employees can be thanked with cards, bonuses, parties and open houses. Vendors can be thanked with cards, bonuses and parties as well as ongoing business interaction.

Specific thanks-giving at this time of year stretches out to include people who provide special services throughout the year. For instance, paper carriers, hair stylists, teachers, special assistants and others. We all enjoy being acknowledged for the good work that we do. So reach out, and thank the people you usually thank and include one or two new people on your thank you list this year.

Differentiate your thank you messages by providing specific notes of praise and appreciation. For instance, “thank you for your dedicated volunteer hours on the fundraising event” can inspire the recipient to keep volunteering. Or, “thank you for your creativity and on-time delivery on this project” can secure ongoing commitment to keep delivering the same quality of work.

A part of the thank you process, or what I like to call the thanks-giving dance, is a part of the overall communication and interaction process. The spoken dance is “thank you” and “you are welcome.” Or, the welcome reply I appreciate when sincerely spoken with a smile, “you are so very welcome.”

The written dance varies. Emailed thank you notes are more like a spoken thank you and merit a “you are welcome” reply. Written and mailed letters on the other hand are not sent with an expectation or need for a “you’re welcome” reply.

The key with all of your thank you expressions is to show appreciation throughout the year, not just once. The ongoing expression of thanks reminds people how much you appreciate their contributions of time, money, work output, and of ongoing business interactions and transactions.

Action Items: Actively express your thanks every day. When someone thanks you, respond in kind with “you are welcome.”

Reprint Permission: The author is willing to grant reprint permissions. Please contact Jana Kemp: jana@janakemp.com or call 208-367-1701.