Do you have a kudos file? Do you contribute to someone else's?

Do you have a kudos file? Keeping a file with the letters, note cards, certificates of appreciation, and other expressions of thanks you have received can provide a useful perspective on your career over time. It can also provide some useful motivation on days when you seem to be getting bogged down or things are not going well.

As useful as keeping a kudos file is, it is equally important to contribute to someone else's. You may have received excellent assistance and thought, "everyone knows they do a great job". And many people likely do, but a CEO, Board Member, or Agency Secretary is likely (and in most cases should be) too far removed from day-to-day operations to be aware. A note to someone with high organizational impact, with a copy to the subject of the note as well as to their direct supervisor, can be very impactful.

As 2015 begins, keep track of the expressions of gratitude you have received, and make sure to extend the same expressions of thanks to clients, colleagues, consultants, and family and friends that help you. Saying "thank you" is a worthwhile activity. The notes and letters you receive and provide will continue to have meaning, often far beyond the scope of the activity they were created for.