Thanking your employees may seem like an irrelevant thing, but it’s more important than you think. Your online reputation is made by the team around you. If they do nothing but say bad things it’s going to hurt your online reputation. It also leads to a 12% loss in productivity, which can be difficult to recover from.
This guide is going to show you how to show your gratitude for the team working for you. Doing it right will ultimately allow you to improve and protect your online reputation.
Say it from the Heart
One of the science-backed ways to be happier at work is to be pleased with your work and to have someone appreciate you. The big problem CEOs have is that most ‘thank yous’ are delivered curtly. It’s obvious they don’t come from the heart, and that’s why they don’t do anything. You may as well not say anything at all if you’re going to do it like that.
So how do you go about saying something from the heart?
This is not about the way you say it or the words you choose to use. The sad thing is most examples of gratitude come over Facebook, via an email, or even just an SMS with a couple of words on it. The best way to say something from the heart is to do it face-to-face.
You should always make eye contact and you should say more than two words. Sincere gratitude doesn’t have to involve going over the top, but it should be delivered in a person-to-person setting. Do it right and this can be better than giving employees a raise.
What are You Thanking Them For?
With so much going on in the office it isn’t always obvious why someone is being thanked. Running around the office and thanking people at random isn’t going to mean much. You need to show each employee why you’re grateful for what they’ve done. This is how you’re going to keep them saying good words about your company in public.
To defend your online reputation, you should make sure you’re being specific about what they’ve done that’s good. The more specific you are the better, and the more personalized it is. Showing a little appreciation by placing emphasis on one action or another can make you seem more genuine.
How Did They Impact Someone?
To make your gratitude as strong as possible you need to help employees understand how they’ve influenced you and the company. A lot of the time a thank you can seem hollow just because they’re not sure what they’ve done or why it’s being beneficial.
Tell people that they’ve benefitted you and they’ve had an impact on others. What makes a ‘thank you’ so powerful is not necessarily the fact you’re saying it but the fact they know they’ve made a real difference in the world. Ultimately, people don’t want to feel insignificant, which so easily happens in the corporate world.
But Why Does Any of this Matter?
Expressing gratitude every day may seem like a pointless exercise, but it can completely turn your company around. Showing your company as a good place to work will enhance your profitability. Millennials, which make up the bulk of the working population, want to know that they are only giving their money to companies that do the right thing. This is why corporate philanthropy has grown so quickly.
A company that has positivity oozing through its veins will perform better. You’re more likely to keep your business ethical and you’re going to avoid making mistakes that could sink your startup.
One of the big benefits you’ll discover from thanking someone properly is this is going to radiate throughout your entire company. Your co-workers will be more likely to do the same, which will replicate your positive action many times over.
Should You Be Genuine About This?
Some entrepreneurs might think they have to start thanking people for absolutely everything now that they’ve seen how beneficial this can be. This is the wrong thing to do because if you start to thank people all the time it’s going to come with diminishing returns.
Be genuine in how you thank people and you’ll find that it matters more when you do it.
Conclusion
Thanking people may seem simple, but it’s trickier than you think. Now you know how to thank people properly, who are you going to thank today?
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