Regularly express appreciation to your team members.
Recently, a professional was telling me about how his manager is terrible at expressing gratitude. The manager rarely if ever says thank you, and if she does say thank you, it’s a quick “thanks”.
Too often have I heard stories of team members not getting appropriate and specific gratitude from their managers. This is heart breaking to me because showing gratitude is one of the easiest ways for managers to build up a relationship with their direct reports.
Here are a few ways to show gratitude and love on your employees:
- Write heart felt thank you notes.
- Be specific in your gratitude.
- Be sensitive to how someone wants to be thanked – not everyone wants public praise.
- Be consistent with expressing gratitude.
- Small gift or token of appreciation.
Above all, no matter how often you express gratitude, the key is to be specific in your expression of gratitude. Saying to your employee “Good job!” and giving them a high-five may be good. But to deliver great appreciation, instead try saying something like, “Good job on turning in your portion of the project before the deadline. Way to show your team mates how to manage time wisely!” And then give the high-five! 😉
Keep expressing gratitude, managers. Your people love it. They’ll love you more for telling them “thanks”… in a meaningful and thoughtful way.
For team members, how do you like to have your manager tell you thanks? Tell us more in the comments below – AND thanks in advance for participating in the conversation.