THE IMPORTANCE OF TWO SIMPLE WORDS

by Sandy M. Srebnick

There are two simple words that are not uttered nearly enough in our daily professional lives …….  THANK YOU!

We are all guilty of this omission but as senior leaders and management, “Thank You” should be a part of our everyday vernacular; one of several genuine and simple ways to keep our employees engaged through these changing times in the workforce.

EMPLOYERS NEED TO FOCUS ON THEIR EMPLOYEES. It’s a straightforward concept that’s more important than ever as companies are facing talent shortages and are trying to manage a multigenerational workforce with increasing demands for flexibility and work/life balance. People are the greatest asset of any firm and finding and retaining great performers is one of the biggest challenges faced by all organizations. CEOs and senior executives who offer kind words of gratitude, who acknowledge individual team members’ contributions, are those that have established successful cultures.

Here is one example of a boss who regularly gave kudos to his employees: Doug Conant, the former CEO of Campbell Soup. When Doug came to Campbell, the company was in dire need of a turnaround and that’s exactly what he did. As Doug stated at the time, he had to be “tough minded on standards and tender hearted with people.” In his efforts to show appreciation to his employees and clients, Doug wrote over 30,000 personal thank you notes during his years at Campbell. When Doug visited the global Campbell locations, he would often put on his sneakers and walk around each office to greet staff accumulating his 10,000 steps a day at the same time.  Doug would many times meet with local employees who had proudly kept his handwritten letters and notes displayed on their desks, cubicles and offices for years. Doug was recognized in many testimonials from Campbell staff throughout the world as a warm and caring leader, one who made his employees feel valued and part of a larger family.