Show Your Thanks, Don’t Just Say Them

Words can only take you so far before your actions need to take over. Telling your team that you are thankful for their efforts is important, but so is demonstrating your appreciation. You can do this in a multitude of ways, like offering bonuses, extra time off, and other incentives. People want to feel seen and like their work matters, and that responsibility largely falls on the shoulders of leadership. However, even if you are not in a leadership position, you can still demonstrate your appreciation to your coworkers. An organization is only as strong as its people, so the more cohesive a team is, the more they can accomplish together.

If you are going to show your appreciation, it must be genuine. You cannot just order some pizza and say, “Thanks for doing your job. Have some food and get back to work.” That can cause more harm than good because you are putting forth minimal effort in exchange for all of their hard work, often leaving them feeling unappreciated. What people are looking for is something that is both genuine and authentic. When you combine your words of appreciation with actions that are meaningful to the individual, they get the recognition that fuels them. That being said, what is meaningful to one person may not mean anything to another. For example, some people value getting time off more than they would value receiving additional financial benefits because it allows them to travel or spend time with their friends and family. 

When it comes to saying your thanks, the simplest formula that you can follow is, “When you did X, I appreciated it because of Y.” The first part of this statement is recognizing them for a specific contribution, and the second part is showing them that their efforts are making a real difference. An organization is defined not just by its achievements, but by the people who make those achievements possible.

From investing in the team’s growth and development to showing their appreciation, leaders shape environments where people feel valued, supported, and empowered to thrive. What are the things that  you are doing to invest in your people and to demonstrate how much you care for their success? After all, like Theodore Roosevelt said, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

-Meghan Slaughter