Shower people with praise, recognition, and gratitude.
“A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all other virtues.” – Marcus Tullius Cicero
If there were any “hard strategy” in this exercise, this is it. Make it a practice to tell people you are glad they are here, happy they are on your team, and that they are doing a great job. Acknowledge their attitude, their commitment, and their work. Tell them you believe in them, that you are a fan, and know they will grow here. Acknowledge small acts, and broad behaviors. Constantly tell people you appreciate them.
If there were any “hard strategy” in this exercise, this is it. Make it a practice to tell people you are glad they are here, happy they are on your team, and that they are doing a great job. Acknowledge their attitude, their commitment, and their work. Tell them you believe in them, that you are a fan, and know they will grow here. Acknowledge small acts, and broad behaviors. Constantly tell people you appreciate them.
The words of the leader are far more powerful than anyone else’s – and those words are free. Manufacture these powerful performance stimulators regularly.
How? Note cards. Post-it notes. In public on a bulletin board or white board. In a meeting. With a note in their paycheck envelope. Verbally. Mail it to their home. Put it in their locker. Leave a little gift. Give them food or a snack and a sincere note. Give them an award. Name an award after them. There are 1000 ways.
“One cares so little for the style in which one’s praises are written.”- Edith Wharton
Remember the least of your employees. The top performers get all the praise and recognition. Go down to the quiet ones, the supporters, the day-in-and-day-outers. Be sincere. Be intentional. Be grateful.
These people are dedicating their lives to your organization. Sincerity and gratitude should not be hard to muster. Be sincere and change up how you express it from time to time.
“The unthankful heart discovers no mercies. But let the thankful heart sweep through the day and, as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessing.” – Henry Ward Beecher
Excellent points. Outstanding quotes. Here’s one more (heard this on a podcast; can’t recall who said it):
“The two most important words in the English language are thank you.”
I believe gratitude is the quiet force that transforms ordinary moments into meaning and ordinary people into miracles.
Here’s a question: If I truly believed that appreciation has the power to change someone’s life, what stops me from expressing it more boldly and more often?
My answer: What stops us is rarely a lack of belief in the power of appreciation…
It’s the quiet resistance we feel when we’re about to step into deeper connection, softness, and presence.
But the moment we push through that resistance even once we realize how effortless and transformative appreciation really is.