Thank You All so Much!
Hello dear clients and friends.
I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving. This is a holiday that most people celebrate with turkey, football, and time with family and friends. I also like to think of Thanksgiving as a time to think about gratitude. What are you most grateful for? It truly is a time to give thanks.
Now, think about this in the workplace. How does gratitude show up best?
In my corporate career as a manager, we had yearly Annual Surveys for all employees. The number one issue that was always highlighted was Employee Engagement. Employees expressed that they did not feel appreciated by management.
Management’s reaction, including my own, was to focus on some of the fun aspects…pizza lunches, lunch out, bagels and coffee in the morning, etc. Yet, employees still did not feel appreciated in the surveys. They continued to state that this was a problem.
We then tried small bonuses…calling them “High Fives” where employees could gift each other 5 or 10 dollar certificates for a job well done. We also increased performance bonuses from $500 to $1,000. Not everyone received a performance bonus and it was always shrouded in mystery as to how to receive one.
Again, employees continued to feel unappreciated for their work.
Well, what exactly did they want?
Ah, there was the problem…as managers, we assumed we knew what the employees wanted and needed when all we really needed to do was to ask.
If you are a manager, ask your employees what they need to have in place to feel a greater appreciation for their work efforts. Sometimes it may be a lot simpler and less expensive than pizza lunches or performance bonuses. My suspicion now, in retrospect, is that it may be the offering of sincere gratitude for a job or effort well done. Not just from managers but from fellow co-workers as well.
“Well, my work environment just doesn’t do that.“ Instead of looking for managers above your level to address the issue, what about starting right where you are in the organization to increase gratitude in the workplace?
Appreciation and gratitude can be a very strong and consistent motivator, and the interesting benefit is that, for the person who expresses the gratitude, it can provide even greater benefits.
The benefits of feeling and expressing gratitude personally have been well documented as a sure path to happiness and satisfaction for the person expressing it. Gratitude has a lot of positive effects on our own personal well-being. Another great reason to be grateful.
ACTION CHALLENGE
Think about ways to create greater gratitude in your life and career. Who can you thank this week/month? Put together a plan to thank others in your life and career and also, look at making a daily habit of personal gratitude.
I thank and am grateful for each one of you, my clients and friends, for being there and caring. I wish you all a very happy Holiday season filled with much love and gratitude.
This is my last Monday Morning Inspiration of the year. “See“ you all next year, January 14, 2019, for more inspiration on that first day of the workweek, Monday Morning!!!
Lupe S. Wood, MS, PCC, is a certified Career/Executive Coach. She coaches individuals and leaders to career fulfillment, transition, and advancement. She also consults for results with businesses and solopreneurs. Her background includes 12 years in senior leadership for a Fortune 100 corporation and 7 years as a coach, with a Master’s degree in Organizational Effectiveness and Executive Coaching.
For more information, please visit my website at www.upcoached.com
For a free copy of Lupe’s guide to “Ten Important Job Search Tips You Must Know”, visit https://upcoached.com/monday-morning-inspiration/
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