The other day I received a Thanksgiving Card from someone I do business with, thanking me for my business and wishing me a Happy Thanksgiving. I think it had a greater impact than all the holiday cards I will no doubt be receiving in the coming months.
As a management trainer and coach, I always stress the importance of showing appreciation to our employees. Everyone likes to be recognized for the hard work they do. As managers, we are responsible to motivate our employees, keep them aligned with our company vision, and make sure they are productive in their jobs. From time to time, we have to give negative feedback to help them learn and grow, but it’s important to keep in mind that we have to deposit 7 positive comments into people’s personal self-esteem bank to make up for just 1 negative comment.
So what better time than Thanksgiving to make some positive deposits? There are so many easy and cost free ways to do this. Have you ever hand written a thank you card? I have, and I can tell you I saw it posted on one of my employee’s corkboards the next day. Clearly it made an impression and they displayed it proudly. Do you ever recognize someone specifically for a task they did well or a project they contributed to at a staff meeting? Public recognition goes a long way and costs nothing. And never underestimate the physical touch. A personal hand shake or literal pat on the back, with real eye contact and sincerity help make that personal connection most employees are longing for and really make that person not only hear what you are saying, but feel it as well.
In the words of the great Maya Angelo, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
You have the power impact someone in a real positive way. Don’t miss the opportunity.
Thoughts…….. Contact me at abbe@TECResourceCenter.com
