Two of Life’s Most Important Words

Two of the most important words are also among the first ones we typically learn as children: “thank you.” Yet in today’s high-tech, fast-paced life, those important words are often treated as an afterthought. They adorn our email signature lines, sometimes shortened to “thanks” or the text-friendly “thx.” A heartfelt, sincere “thank you” to someone after a job well done can have a huge impact. When was the last time you gave, or received, one of those?

I find that people in business often avoid saying “thank you” because they think it will cost them something, or that they will be perceived as “soft” or “weak”. I’ve worked in commercial real estate for more than 30 years, and I can tell you that couldn’t be farther from the truth. One of my longtime clients and mentors never misses an opportunity to sincerely thank people for doing a good job. When I hear those words from him, they inspire loyalty and make me want to work harder for him. I have attended several of his company’s holiday parties, at which the president of the company always makes a point to stand up and thank, both individually and as a collective, the employees for their hard work. Watching the faces of those employees light up as they are acknowledged, it’s easy to see that thanking them has cost the company very little but gained it much.

Gratitude and acknowledgement shouldn’t only be expressed in words. If you really want them to have an impact, you need to back them up with your actions. Many corporations have fancy websites that go on and on about how much they value their employees, but if they don’t back those words up by fairly compensating their employees and treating them with respect in the workplace, then the words themselves will lose their impact. St. John Properties famously gave its employees a huge bonus last Christmas, averaging $50k per employee based on years of service with the company. That’s obviously going to have a huge impact on longevity and morale at the company, in addition to getting them a whole lot of positive PR. But actions don’t have to be huge to have an impact. Occasionally treating an employee to a nice lunch, or giving them an extra day of paid time off, shows that your thanks are sincere without breaking the bank. The same is true in your personal life. Small gestures – doing extra tasks around the house, buying your partner’s favorite food/drink/flowers, etc. – can go a long way towards making them feel appreciated and valued.

I encourage you to offer up at least 3 sincere “thank yous” over the next week. Take some time to think of people in your life who are doing a great job, and acknowledge them. Back it up with action, too. It won’t cost you much, but it will improve your relationships with the people around you.

Have a great weekend,
Ro