Editor's Note
During November, we are surrounded by the theme of being thankful. While we’re all sitting around the dining room table later this month, filling our bellies full of delicious Thanksgiving turkey and pumpkin pie, many of us may take a moment to reflect on all the things we have to be thankful for: our health, our home and the delicious meal in front of us.
But what about showing the same thankfulness at work? So often we hear about the lack of gratitude shown for a job well done at the office. We all need those big thank yous and hoorays when we’ve worked hard and earned the praise. But so many companies seem to neglect that. A raise is great, but words of appreciation are just as necessary to keep motivation and morale up. Just as you would praise a child for trying hard and succeeding, an adult benefits from the same type of encouragement.
Don’t think that this type of gratitude should only come from your managers. There’s no reason you can’t praise your own coworkers. Last year during the holidays I came back to my desk after lunch one afternoon and noticed a thank you card on my keyboard. It was a coworker thanking me for helping her out during her transition into a new job. I was so warmed by her gesture that I still have it hanging up in my cube. I was more than happy to help her, but being thanked for doing so was the icing on the cake. If everyone was properly appreciated, think how that could spiral outward into a cycle of nice acts all over the place!
Having a hard time knowing how to thank your coworkers or employees? Writer Anita Fontana offers up these suggestions in her article, "How to Cultivate Gratitude in the Workplace."
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Send a thank-you e-mail or e-greeting card
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Send a virtual box of chocolates or bouquet of flowers
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Take someone out for coffee or lunch “just because”
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Leave a thank-you sticky note
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Leave a thank-you voicemail message
Use this month’s theme as a great excuse to thank at least one person in your office. They will really appreciate it!
Christy Wolf, Editor
Have you done something really nice for a coworker? If so, tell us about it!