Thanks to woodleywonderworks
Those readers who know me know that I have become a doting aunt to an adorable 4 year old niece and 2 year old nephew. Given that I have no children, hearing them say please and thank you (and in particular to me when I happen to find that perfect gift!) has been one of my greatest joys in the last few years. It seems to be the most common and universal lesson taught to children.
And it is the most common and universal lesson forgotten in the workplace. We adults start to take ourselves way too seriously, get overly preoccupied with our own stuff, and forget that many people are connected to OUR overall success and pleasure in life. It’s no surprise that the most common and universal finding on employee engagement surveys is feeling unappreciated.
So here are 5 strategies to help you say thank you to your team and keep them engaged and motivated:
- Set a goal of saying thank you to at least 1 person a day. Be specific saying what it is they have done and the impact it’s had on you.
- At team meetings, monitor your “critical comments” vs your “thank you or appreciative comments”. Get the balance right!
- Write your team’s vision/values on blank business cards. When someone on your team lives a particular value and/or really demonstrates the vision, write a note on the back of it saying thanks (and again be specific!).
- Use an electronic greeting card to say thanks if you are working on a virtual team. My favorite is Jacquie Lawson … for $12 a year I can send unlimited animated greeting cards that I can customize for any occasion.
- Pay attention to small wins during a long and complex project. Saying thanks to people throughout the project can keep people motivated, engaged and able to handle challenges that do arise.
What strategies have you used to say thank you and motivate your team? I’d love to hear them!
Today’s blog comes from our Teamwork Explorer, 10 of Hearts card.
