“Thanks” IS Needed

While seeking ways to a boost positivity and productivity, don’t underestimate the power of a simple "thank you." Here are seven way to thank your team for their hard work.

Your employees are essential. They keep business humming along at a time when so many others are going under due to challenging business conditions and the ongoing global pandemic. Likewise, employees are struggling, as well. They’re working long hours. They worry about health risks. And they may be coping with a home life that’s been disrupted in some way.

In other words, stress is at an all-time high. And while you may not be able to change their day-to-day reality, you can change the way they experience their work life. 

Saying thank you isn’t just a nice thing to do. It’s smart business. It positively impacts everything from employee well-being to job satisfaction to motivation to productivity. It’s a powerhouse tool for building engagement. Infusing gratitude into the workplace may even be a pathway to building a more empathetic and emotionally intelligent workplace.

When a leader begins saying thank you on a regular basis, it truly can boost positive emotions throughout the workforce. In fact, it can unleash a chain reaction of gratitude in which everyone becomes more appreciative of each other. And in hard times, this can do amazing things for morale and make your team unstoppable, even in a pandemic.

And saying thank you feels good. It rewards the giver as much as it rewards the recipient.

Here are some simple and creative tips for thanking your employees.

Recognise and celebrate your team members’ accomplishments

For employees working on site, you might hold a socially distanced pizza party, for instance. And don’t forget remote employees. For example, on a Friday, request that everyone finish up half an hour early and host a Zoom happy hour. While everyone is enjoying their snacks, sodas, or beverages of choice, take a few minutes to say thank you to each employee. Get specific about how their hard work has helped the company and share a few things you have noticed they do especially well. Then open it up for employees to thank and complement one another. It’s a great way to create a sense of unity and camaraderie while people are physically separated.

Put your “thank-you” on paper

The uniqueness of a card in the mail -- especially in this age of emails, Facebook posts, and tweets -- does not go unnoticed. You can now go online and send a heartfelt card of thanks in the mail to your employees. There doesn’t have to be an occasion. Simple words of gratitude and encouragement are always uplifting. Of course, if you want to call out someone’s exceptional performance on a recent project, it will be greatly appreciated. As Paul Spiegelman, co-founder of the Small Giants Community, shared, “That note you can get from someone…that says, ‘thank you, you’ve changed my life’…is much more powerful, much more valuable, than any amount of money I could have in the bank.”

Extend the gratitude to family members, as well

The simple act of sending a special thank-you note to an employee’s spouse, parent, or child can have an exponential impact. (After months of Zoom meetings, you may already be on a first name basis with them as well!) This thank-you can help strengthen the high performer’s personal life, especially when his/her partner or other family member may have felt he/she, too, had sacrificed—from family time lost—as a result of the dedicated effort extended by this hardworking relation.

Name an “employee of the week”

Each week find someone who is giving their all and name that person employee of the week. You might even drop off a fun certificate to their home along with a crisp $20 bill or a gift card. In difficult times, even a modest gesture means a lot.

Get original

For example, if you know a team member will be stopping into the office to pick up some more supplies, leave a box of their favorite cookies on their desk for them to see. Mail everyone a $15 gift certificate to a local restaurant to treat all to lunch (and help out a small business in the process). Send everyone company merchandise like pens, tee shirts, or hats.

Be generous with flex time…

When everyone is stressed and overworked, giving people some freedom with their work schedule helps them stay sane. If someone’s life can be made easier by working a half-day in the morning and finishing their work in the evening, be as accommodating as possible. Also try to make yourself available to them on their schedule if you can. This is a big way to let them know you care.

…And encourage time off

Say thank you by encouraging people to take mental health days from time to time, as well as their regular vacation days. Also, periodically, dismiss your team early or tell them to come in late the following day. During periods of remote work, employees need reminders that they can make time to recharge and take breaks.