Did you know that 74% of people would consider finding a new job today because of lack of recognition?
Think about that number for a minute. 74%. That’s 3 out of 4 people—a majority of the team members who help your business function day after day.
Now I’m going ask a challenging question. Who might that be in your company? Which key players are dissatisfied and frustrated? Who might leave you on a moment’s notice if the opportunity presented itself?
More importantly, what could that do to your business?
It’s probably a pretty frightening thought.
Fortunately, there’s a simple way to keep your team members engaged and happy. And it all starts with a single, but unbelievably powerful, word.
Thanks.
Simply by saying thanks regularly, you can transform your company culture to a place where people love to come to work and work harder while they’re there—increasing productivity, decreasing turnover, and sending profits sky-high.
Believe it or not, there are right ways and wrong ways to say thank you. I once had a boss thank me publicly but called me Bob! Another time, a boss thanked me as part of a project team that I wasn’t even on. You can imagine that didn’t do much to make me feel acknowledged and recognized.
Here are 4 tips for saying thank you effectively, and ingraining gratitude as part of your company’s culture…
- Make saying thanks a daily habit. This sets a precedent for the rest of your team to follow, making everyone feel noticed and appreciated.
- Use people’s names (but use their right names, ha, ha!)
- Be specific with your praise. For example, “That report was extremely thorough. Thank you for a job well done!” This has the double bonus of being extremely impactful AND reinforcing the positive behavior, so that they repeat it in the future.
- Praise publicly. Say thanks in front of others. While you never want to single people out for criticism in front of their colleagues, take a minute or two at the beginning of each meeting to acknowledge the good work of team members. They’ll feel great and it’ll give the rest of the team something to aspire to.
Gratitude isn’t just for Thanksgiving Day. Make it an everyday part of your company’s culture, and watch your profits soar.
