When was the last time you said thank you for turning up?
Do you listen to talk-back radio? I'm a bit of an ABC 774 addict (my local talk-back radio station). I LOVE the diversity of the people who call in; truck drivers, Indigenous elders, war vets, rich old ladies, young kids, former criminals, new immigrants, asylum seekers, politicians, union bosses, volunteers, the far right to the far left and all of the colourful characters in between. So often these days we live in a bubble (especially within social media) where everyone we interact with thinks in a similar fashion to ourselves. I love the chance you have with talk-back radio to hear opinions and ideas from people who think SO very differently to yourself.
Anyway, my love of 774 aside, this week one particular conversation got me thinking about the way small biz owners operate. A woman had phoned in, clearly upset, about the cancellation of her office Christmas party. "It's just not right" she moaned, "We work hard all year and this is the only chance we get to be shown any kind of gratitude and then they cancel it despite the company increasing profit year on year". It's a familiar tale; I've been an employee myself at a company who boasted a profit and in the same quarter cut the end-of-year bash claiming the need to shave expenses.
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But my thoughts were not focused on the party that had been cancelled, but on the fact the woman felt this once-a-year event was the "only chance" to be shown gratitude from her employer. My parents were married almost five decades before my mum passed away. When I asked mum once about the secret to a long marriage she told me it was, "communication and a good sense of humour". I grew up with parents who showed appreciation of one another's work (both in the home and externally). In my own marriage, my husband I are pretty good at regularly saying thank you, whether it's for one of us tidying up or something bigger. We used to have a running joke at the end of every phone call, we would say "Good conversation, thank you for calling".
But while we can show appreciation and gratitude in our own homes, we don't always make a point of showing it in the workplace. Sure, we can say "great job on that pitch" or "thanks for that great presentation" or "thanks for hiring me / our agency on that project" — all one-off comments that are almost obligatory after X or Y happens. How often do we really show appreciation for the little things? How many times lately have you told your staff (including remote ones or contractors) how much you appreciate them putting their trust in your business as a place of employment?
How often do you say thank you?
Thank you for bringing your best self to work
Thank you for those really creative ideas you gave in today's meeting (and every meeting)
Thank you for sticking to the rules we have around lunchtime breaks
Thank you for accepting feedback so readily
Thank you for treating our clients / customers so well
Thank you for showing another staff member how to do X or Y
Thank you for keeping our workplace fun and positive
Thank you for keeping your desk tidy
Thank you for keeping the office peaceful
Thank you for dealing with ambiguity as I figure this business out
Thank you for that extra effort you put in on X
Thank you for being punctual
Thank you for thinking one step ahead
Thank you for your energy
Thank you for trusting me as your boss
Thank you for your friendship
Thank you for your want to help me build my business
While you may shake your head at some of these and think, "I am paying them, they'd better show up on time / keep their desk tidy etc", for the most part we let our staff do amazing things day in, day out without ever stopping to say thank you. Yes, they're getting paid but they could just as easily be getting paid at another company. They have chosen to work with and for you. Staff should never feel that the only time they're shown gratitude is during an end-of-year party that is claimed as a tax write-off.
People are your best asset, . Treat them like any other important relationship in your life; a small thank you can go a long way.