Value of Acknowledgement

Acknowledgement - The action of expressing or displaying gratitude or appreciation for something.

A few years ago, I had a coworker whose contract got terminated much before the promised contract end date. Because of sudden ending of his contract and hence the income, he was very stressed. During the phase of his interviewing and applying for jobs, I used to meet him in the evenings to help brainstorm his employment options and interview process. Soon he secured a job, and we both discussed that the job will be good for him, and he should relocate to the new city and start it. He successfully joined that company and started his life as usual.

After about six months, I received a call from him. He sounded very happy and he spoke a few words that I still remember. He said:

" I have called you today to specifically thank you for all your help during my rough times. You helped me make a good decision and I am very happy with this job and my life is back on track. So, thank you!"

The above call was an acknowledgement of something. I have quoted the above example to express what a true acknowledgement sounds like. (not to brag about me:-))

This acknowledgement was a favor, he did to me, because he made me feel I did something good in somebody's life and it was very clear what he was grateful for. While I was listening to his words, my heart filled with an extreme satisfaction that I was useful to someone without any selfish motive behind it. It encouraged me to do more for others.

When we acknowledge good deeds of others, we foster the culture of goodness. Always remember, if you acknowledge someone's good work or a good deed, you are making that person feel important and worth something. And there is no better feeling in life than feeling useful to others.

So, please don't be shy in expressing your gratitude to people who do something for you for which you are really thankful. Because by doing that you are helping them. An action with an acknowledgement makes it a complete handshake.

Whether it's your personal or professional life, don't underestimate the power of acknowledgement/gratitude.

In our professional world, whether we are a supervisor or an individual contributor, we should always acknowledge the work or actions of people who help us in any shape or form. If each person start acknowledging and showing gratitude in offices, we will see a huge shift towards a great collaborative environment. This culture will start making each individual feel valuable and that is what we all want.

======Don't let people assume what you think, acknowledge their actions with explicit words======

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed are solely my own and do not express the views or opinions of my employer.