In this post:
Different perspectives on giving thanks.
After taking a day to travel to my mother’s home, I’m writing this post with this month’s holiday in mind.
Thanksgiving.
I think most of us that are employed are familiar with those seasonal messages from our team leads. You know: The ones expressing contextualized offerings of thanks for ‘everything you’ve done this year’. Or, ‘for being part of our family/ team/ organization.’
I realize many leaders legitimately do not have time to interact with their entire organization in a truly meaningful way. That doesn’t mean we can’t do better at lower levels.
There are regular reminders to consider what you are thankful for during this season. Most of our quickest answers are generic responses about family, opportunities, and food. How do you express your thanks through the rest of the year?
In no particular order, here are some ideas to keep in mind for different approaches to more mindfully expressing appreciation.
Drop a Hand-Written, Personalized Note
Telling someone you appreciate them in passing can sometimes have an immediate but fleeting impact. Pause to consciously write out what someone did, why you appreciated it, and thank them for it. This has the potential to linger in their minds – especially if they keep your note at their desk.
Think about it for a moment. “Oh, they just took a second since they were passing me anyway.”
Compare that to “They deliberately carved out time in their day to hand-write this, just for me?”
Review Your Last Week or Sprint
You may feel like you can’t think of anything to be thankful for off the top of your head.
Life gets busy, but being busy usually implies working toward some goal.
For people in operational lines of work, routine doesn’t have to mean there is nothing to appreciate. Surges of work or untimely absences are opportunities to express thanks. Surges and absences happen, but even if they are predictable, they still take extra effort to handle.
Opportunities for appreciation abound in strategic work places, too. Tackling competitive or innovation challenges requires a lot of effort from individuals and teams.
Consider your stand-ups or sprints, as well. These are good opportunities to align reports of completed or progressing work with appreciation for team members.
Mentorship
Mentors are “supposed” to advise and guide junior teammates, sure. But if someone enhances your experience in a meaningful way, take the time to thank them! The likelihood that this will encourage them to be better mentors is astronomical, even if they don’t know it.
You can also develop your own mentorship skills by passing on what you’ve gained from mentors. Doing so is also an indirect expression of thanks. Chances are that passing the baton in this way will never get back to your mentor. Don’t let that stop you – that rippling effect can be subtly powerful.
These are just a few quick thoughts on the topic of appreciation.
What do you think about when considering ways or reasons to express your appreciation in your professional life?
Will you make any changes about how much you express thanks through the coming year?
72 Airman's Writings 