Have you ever held the door for someone just to have them whiz past you and completely ignore the fact that you existed – like the door just magically opened for them? If you’re like me this makes you want to chase them down and remind them that they need to get a set of manners and also share a few choice words with them.
One of the top tips I have learned in my career I learned at The J.M. Smucker company. This company believes that one of the most important things you can do to improve the overall company culture is to say Thank You, and I couldn’t agree more. From the moment I started working at the company, it was apparent that just about everyone felt valued, they felt cared for and they felt like their hard work and dedication didn’t go unrecognized. Every presentation is opened with a list of people that worked on the project and made it possible.
Saying Thank You is so easy and makes such a big impact. You don’t have to write a lofty letter or even send an email – all you do is take a few minutes to let your team know that they made a difference and that you noticed.
Sometimes, it can be easy to forget that you work with other people outside your direct team but take a few minutes each month to think about all the people that make what you do possible and spend a few minutes putting together a couple nice notes or making a few phone calls to extend your gratitude to the rest of the people you work with like print vendors, the HR department and training teams – really anyone who touches your business and makes a difference. Put on a calendar notice quarterly to express your gratitude towards anyone that makes your life easier.
I have found that the more tenure folks tend to get in their career journey, this starts to become one of the tasks that they don’t have time for. When I saw how much of an impact it made when an entire company with every person at every level of their career embracing the Thank You mentality, I was shocked. When you walk through the building you can feel it in your bones. People like working here and they love what they do.
I keep a set of Thank You cards at my desk now, so that it’s easy for me to write up a little note and drop it off when someone makes a difference in my day.
With that being said… Thank You from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to read every page of this book. I spent a lot of time writing it and I’m hoping that it’s been a beneficial experience for you. If you found any bit of useful information in this book, I ask that you share it with your colleagues that might benefit.