Thank You: The Phrase That Too Many Managers Forget

If you type in the search term “The Power of Thank You” on the Internet, there are many articles about the subject use of Thank You. In addition to the fascinating fact that a lot of people choose the same name to write on this subject, What’s fascinating to me is the amount of time this simple strategy (and I’m not sure why I would refer to it like this) isn’t widely used. How can I tell this? In addition to the many articles about the subject, I also have personal experience too.

I frequently teach about the concept of influence and communication through practical methods. I ask my students to can recall when they last were given an acknowledgement for something specific they did on the job. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon that just 10-20 per cent of the audience will remember the last time they received a thank you note. It’s not true.

There are managers, even bad managers, who openly state that their employees don’t require gratitude – that their pay is their reward. Although it is true that employees are paid a wage, this does not mean that pay is the only thing that managers must think about when giving thanks. It’s wrong to believe that just pay is enough. Many people do not join a company because of the money; they are there because of different reasons. Are you aware of the most popular reason for people to quit a job? It’s not about cash. It’s not the job itself. Can you guess? Check it out. You’ll discover that the most frequently cited reason by people who quit their job is due to a poor boss or direct boss. Inattention to personal matters of the day in all of its ways is the most common reason that people quit their jobs. Do simple thank-you every time make a difference? It’s common sense to say yes.

We’ve established that you must actually thank yourself more often than you are likely to do now. Here are three ways to do the practice of thank you more meaningful.

Specific

In the same way that more specific guidance for job-related training will result in higher quality work, so more particular compliments will carry greater significance as well. For instance, a praise that will likely have the most important is “Nice task in the Robertson project. Your attention to precision and working before the schedule was appreciated by many people within Executive Office. Your effort on this project is a reflection of the best qualities of your team and of the business. We thank you for your outstanding effort.’ The fact that you are specific in your appreciation will be more effective.

Time Sensitive

What happens when you take baked goods out for a couple of days? Do they stay fresh and delicious, or does it start to look a bit old? We’ve all got the answer. Baked goods left unattended become aged. In the same way, a gesture of appreciation that is not said for long enough can be perceived as being a little stale. Although, the thanks is more meaningful if it’s said regardless of how long it takes to arrive. But logic alone ought to be able to show that the more specific your thanks are to the occasion, the more sincere thank you will be received.

Hand-Written

In this digital age, it’s simple to compose and send a brief message to virtually anyone at any time. Although the message that is sent via email is well-meaning, however, the ease and speed at which this can be accomplished via email reduce the impact. To mitigate this effect, make sure to write your thank-you note in hand. Based on my personal experience, I’ve learned that letters written in writing are more memorable. This is evident from the numerous office and factory visits that I’ve attended that the only thank-you notes I’ve observed posted on walls of employees were those which were written in hand. When I can, I seek out thank you notes that I have seen posted. I will not forget the most touching incident I experienced when dealing with this. The worker had been an auto mechanic, possibly in his 40s or 50s. The thank-you note I saw was secured by a magnet that was pinned to his tall moving tool cupboard. I was unable to see the contents. I noticed that the outside of the package reads “Thank You” in large letters, a pre-printed exterior. I asked the mechanic about the issue. The mechanic stopped work, came out from the underside of the car and began to speak with a mix of sadness and pride. “I was handed that card by the first boss I worked with about 20 years back. I had stayed up late to complete the car for this particular person. I was not sure who the person was, only that he was looking forward to having the car by the weekend, and I was able to stay till late on a Thursday evening to ensure it was possible.” It turned out that the man was an owner at a nearby trucking firm. My extra work resulted in my boss’s shop obtaining an agreement for maintenance on the company’s fleet. I received this thank-you card.” I remarked on how awesome it was that his hard work resulted in this great victory for the shop at that time. His response was a bit sombre. He stated, “I’ve never stopped going over and beyond to every client I’ve ever dealt with. My boss in the past is the only one who ever been aware of this.”

As happy as I am that my mechanic’s boss was the first one who recognized the value of service, I am sad how many years have passed without recognition for this hardworking employee who is yet to receive this kind of recognition. There are a variety of reasons handwritten thank you notes are displayed. The first is that the fact they’re handwritten can suggest they are genuine messages. Additionally, (and sad to say) thank you notes are so uncommon that receiving one requires public display. If you believe that saying thank you isn’t essential, then I suggest you think twice. For the benefit of your team members and for the use of your company, begin to say thank you more frequently.