Showing Thankfulness to Your Team
Showing thankfulness to your team, helps build their esteem and proves your leadership. Are you doing this enough? Could you be empowering your team more effectively?
Many times, business leaders say they are thankful for their team when asked. It is not uncommon to hear, “I couldn’t have done it without my team to support me.” But, are you saying that to the right people and, are you saying it with true meaning?
As a leader, your goal is to build up your team and show them that they are valuable and even essential to your company. You cannot do that without thanking them for their opinions, insight, hard work, and overall talent.
Consider a Simple Scenario
Imagine your company spent the last month working nonstop to complete a project. You put in an incredible amount of time, drank far too much coffee, and found yourself frustrated and up all night. Finally, the project is submitted, and it heads right to the desk of someone who is going to make a key decision about it. Your client is happy with the results. They move on with their project and take credit for the work you’ve done.
You know they are thankful and happy with the results. But, did they show that appreciation? If not, that may leave a bad taste in your mouth. Even if they are talking about their next investment in your company, you just want them to say thanks.
Your employees feel the same way. They put in a lot of work for you and, if you haven’t thanked them for doing so, it is already costing you.
What Giving Thanks Means to Your Team
When you improve the lines of communication within your business, you open the door to a wide range of benefits. Suddenly, that “thank you” goes a lot further. Perhaps you turn to your assistant on the project, reach out your hand to shake theirs, look them deep in the eye, and say thanks. That’s all you do, but to your employee, it means more than just that you appreciate them.
It also means you value them. Today, in a very competitive market where good talent is hard to find, showing value in your team members like this can help encourage them to stay with you longer, work harder for you, and build a lasting relationship with your company.
It Proves Your Leadership
It’s also important to recognize that thanks does more than just build up the esteem of your team. It also shows the type of leader you are. True leadership is not about a person barking orders. It is about bringing people together to tackle the task at hand as a group, where each person is important to the end result.
When was the last time you thanked your team in a meaningful manner? This doesn’t always need to be in bonuses or gifts. They want to hear you say thanks in a truly authentic manner. Give it a try and see what happens.