Once upon a time, in the not too distant past, there was a marketing director of a technology start-up that was getting ready to launch. This young man toiled long hours and 7 day weeks for several months to get ready for this momentous event. The big day came with a lot of fanfare, excitement, and press and industry attention. The employees were happy and grateful for all the work involved and everyone was on a high. The CEO was ecstatic and expressed his appreciation to the marketing director for making the launch a success at the company meeting that day. The director was happy that his efforts were recognized and continued to work hard for many years contributing to the company’s success.
It would be wonderful if this fairy tale related how things actually happened, but truth has a slightly different finish. In reality, the CEO never bothered to express his appreciation. What a way to burst a bubble and deflate an otherwise great day. The director wasn’t expecting anything, but was disappointed that he wasn’t even extended the courtesy of a “thank you” by the leader of the company for the extra effort and great results. He continued to perform with high standards on the company’s behalf out of professional responsibility, but never again with the same enthusiasm and joy. He eventually left the company and is now happily and diligently working at a company that appreciates his efforts.
What a difference it would have made if the CEO had thought enough to say thank you.
We’ve all been taught from an early age that treating people with respect and kindness in both our personal and professional lives is something we should do. I’ve found that, unfortunately, it’s rare in the business world and increasingly uncommon in our everyday lives for people to be appreciative of one another. I’m not talking about extreme acts of gratitude, but just two magical words that, when spoken genuinely, make a difference in someone’s day and make them feel valued.
It doesn't take much to say thank you, but the effect can be powerful. When you open a door for someone or let another driver merge in front of you in traffic, you feel good when your effort is acknowledged. When you offer to help someone at work who has a tight deadline and they express their thanks, you’re left with the warm feeling that you’ve been appreciated and you won’t hesitate to help again.
In a business environment leaders should understand the impact that appreciation has on employees and their performance. There’s a large body of evidence to support how important it is to thank your staff and colleagues. In a May 2012 World at Work survey of 834 organizations published by Randstad, an Atlanta-based employment services firm, 76 percent of respondents said feeling valued was the most important factor for happiness at work. The research also found that in organizations where recognition occurs, employee engagement, productivity, and customer service are about 14 percent better than in those where recognition does not occur. While 14 percent may not seem worth getting excited about, consider that this improvement/gain comes as a result of something that costs nothing. And 14 percent can be that tipping point to a great customer experience, low employee turnover, increased revenue, closing that big account, and more.
Some executives do it right. The following story was related by a manager at REI explaining why he loves working at the company, as told in the book “The Trustworthy Leader” by Amy Lyman.
“Some members of my team delivered excellent customer service to a father and his autistic son. Well, the father mentioned his experience on a blog. People at headquarters up to the CEO heard [about] and read the blog. The CEO herself, Sally Jewell, sent me an email and a personal note to my employees thanking them. That level of recognition for the daily efforts of employees is [not common] in the retail environment.” By taking the time to appreciate the extra effort of employees to care for a customer, the CEO of REI made a difference. The manager summarized the experience saying, “It shows the investment and understanding that the executives in the corporation have for the employees. At REI, people really do care.”
Another great example is Doug Conant, the former CEO of Campbell’s Soup. When Conant assumed leadership in 2001, the company had lost half of its market value, sales were declining, the business was collapsing, and there had been a series of layoffs. The company’s toxic environment prompted a Gallup manager to describe the employees’ engagement in their work and company activities as “the worst [he had] ever seen among the Fortune 500.” Conant turned things around in large part by showing employees respect and appreciation. During his tenure as CEO, he wrote more than 30,000 individualized notes of thanks to his 20,000 employees. He took every opportunity to connect with people and make them feel valued. And the results showed. By 2010, employees were setting all-time performance records, including assisting the company to out-pace the S&P 500 index by five-fold. This is a man who showed an extraordinary level of commitment to his employees and also understood that appreciating and valuing people is one of the best things you can do to enhance employee and company performance. If you’re the type of person that feels uncomfortable expressing thanks in person, write an email or a personal note. It’s the sentiment more than the medium that counts.
Throughout my career I have made it a practice to make sure that people who work with me and for me know that they, and their work, are appreciated. It means a lot to me to make sure that I do this. And I am truly grateful because I would never be able to do what I do without solid support behind me. In today’s work world the jobs are big, the resources are scarce, and the deadlines are short. It’s critical that people feel they are valued and respected for their contributions. And honestly, it just makes you feel good, and it’s nice to feel good.
However, I feel like I am in the minority. I've seen a lot of managers who: ignore the effort; have the arrogance to believe it was all them anyway (yes, I have seen this); press for more, believing this brings people to greater heights (in most cases it does not); or are passive-aggressive about it by giving you praise in one breath and knocking you down in the next. I believe we need to remember what our mothers taught us — to be kind, polite, and to say thank you. Just because we’re not kids any more doesn’t make her advice any less relevant.
Whether you're a new manager or have managed a staff for a long time, try saying thank you for a job well done. Don’t wait until the end of the year or for a performance review to express appreciation; your employee may be gone by then. Give it a try and let’s make the world a kinder place!
It would be wonderful if this fairy tale related how things actually happened, but truth has a slightly different finish. In reality, the CEO never bothered to express his appreciation. What a way to burst a bubble and deflate an otherwise great day. The director wasn’t expecting anything, but was disappointed that he wasn’t even extended the courtesy of a “thank you” by the leader of the company for the extra effort and great results. He continued to perform with high standards on the company’s behalf out of professional responsibility, but never again with the same enthusiasm and joy. He eventually left the company and is now happily and diligently working at a company that appreciates his efforts.
What a difference it would have made if the CEO had thought enough to say thank you.
We’ve all been taught from an early age that treating people with respect and kindness in both our personal and professional lives is something we should do. I’ve found that, unfortunately, it’s rare in the business world and increasingly uncommon in our everyday lives for people to be appreciative of one another. I’m not talking about extreme acts of gratitude, but just two magical words that, when spoken genuinely, make a difference in someone’s day and make them feel valued.
It doesn't take much to say thank you, but the effect can be powerful. When you open a door for someone or let another driver merge in front of you in traffic, you feel good when your effort is acknowledged. When you offer to help someone at work who has a tight deadline and they express their thanks, you’re left with the warm feeling that you’ve been appreciated and you won’t hesitate to help again.
In a business environment leaders should understand the impact that appreciation has on employees and their performance. There’s a large body of evidence to support how important it is to thank your staff and colleagues. In a May 2012 World at Work survey of 834 organizations published by Randstad, an Atlanta-based employment services firm, 76 percent of respondents said feeling valued was the most important factor for happiness at work. The research also found that in organizations where recognition occurs, employee engagement, productivity, and customer service are about 14 percent better than in those where recognition does not occur. While 14 percent may not seem worth getting excited about, consider that this improvement/gain comes as a result of something that costs nothing. And 14 percent can be that tipping point to a great customer experience, low employee turnover, increased revenue, closing that big account, and more.
Some executives do it right. The following story was related by a manager at REI explaining why he loves working at the company, as told in the book “The Trustworthy Leader” by Amy Lyman.
“Some members of my team delivered excellent customer service to a father and his autistic son. Well, the father mentioned his experience on a blog. People at headquarters up to the CEO heard [about] and read the blog. The CEO herself, Sally Jewell, sent me an email and a personal note to my employees thanking them. That level of recognition for the daily efforts of employees is [not common] in the retail environment.” By taking the time to appreciate the extra effort of employees to care for a customer, the CEO of REI made a difference. The manager summarized the experience saying, “It shows the investment and understanding that the executives in the corporation have for the employees. At REI, people really do care.”
Another great example is Doug Conant, the former CEO of Campbell’s Soup. When Conant assumed leadership in 2001, the company had lost half of its market value, sales were declining, the business was collapsing, and there had been a series of layoffs. The company’s toxic environment prompted a Gallup manager to describe the employees’ engagement in their work and company activities as “the worst [he had] ever seen among the Fortune 500.” Conant turned things around in large part by showing employees respect and appreciation. During his tenure as CEO, he wrote more than 30,000 individualized notes of thanks to his 20,000 employees. He took every opportunity to connect with people and make them feel valued. And the results showed. By 2010, employees were setting all-time performance records, including assisting the company to out-pace the S&P 500 index by five-fold. This is a man who showed an extraordinary level of commitment to his employees and also understood that appreciating and valuing people is one of the best things you can do to enhance employee and company performance. If you’re the type of person that feels uncomfortable expressing thanks in person, write an email or a personal note. It’s the sentiment more than the medium that counts.
Throughout my career I have made it a practice to make sure that people who work with me and for me know that they, and their work, are appreciated. It means a lot to me to make sure that I do this. And I am truly grateful because I would never be able to do what I do without solid support behind me. In today’s work world the jobs are big, the resources are scarce, and the deadlines are short. It’s critical that people feel they are valued and respected for their contributions. And honestly, it just makes you feel good, and it’s nice to feel good.
However, I feel like I am in the minority. I've seen a lot of managers who: ignore the effort; have the arrogance to believe it was all them anyway (yes, I have seen this); press for more, believing this brings people to greater heights (in most cases it does not); or are passive-aggressive about it by giving you praise in one breath and knocking you down in the next. I believe we need to remember what our mothers taught us — to be kind, polite, and to say thank you. Just because we’re not kids any more doesn’t make her advice any less relevant.
Whether you're a new manager or have managed a staff for a long time, try saying thank you for a job well done. Don’t wait until the end of the year or for a performance review to express appreciation; your employee may be gone by then. Give it a try and let’s make the world a kinder place!
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