31 Oct How Do You Say Thanks?
Let’s take the scenario that you have just done a nice deed for a colleague (which I have no doubt happens every day). That colleague responds by stopping by your cubicle/office and saying, “Thanks.” How does that gesture make you feel? It probably felt pretty good because they made an effort to show their appreciation. Instead of stopping by, they send you a quick IM or email stating, “Hey, thanks – greatly appreciated.” Is this a step up from the verbal? Probably about the same, because they took the time and made the effort to show their appreciation.
Both of the above are probably more the norm these days as a sign of appreciation and thanks. You feel appreciated and worthy. Unfortunately, there are probably far too many times when a gesture goes unrecognized, which is too bad. How much time and effort were expended on the above to express thanks? Not a great deal. Yet some may feel it is not necessary or “that is their job – why should I have to thank them?”
Why am I addressing this subject? Well, for one, Thanksgiving is coming up, so everyone should be making more of an effort to express their thanks, whether it involves personal or business scenarios. Expressing appreciation will hopefully make a difference in someone’s life and, at least for one day, make the world a better place.
The other reason I am touching on this subject is personal. Many of you met Bob (Angie Heavener’s husband) at the conference in San Diego. Like me, Bob is a die-hard baseball fan. I live 45 minutes from Cooperstown (Baseball Hall of Fame) and thus have been a HOF member for many, many years. Knowing Bob would be at the conference, I brought him the 2023 Hall of Fame yearbook, which I am sure he reads every word of. When I returned home, I received a very nice personal handwritten note from Bob expressing his appreciation and thanks—a very nice gesture.
This was somewhat of an epiphany for me and made me realize the “power” of a handwritten note (apparently, this has been part of Bob’s mantra for his entire business career). A personal note with thanks expressed in ink is so simple and yet so unique.
In doing a little research on this subject, I wondered whether handwritten notes are old-fashioned and maybe somewhat of a generational “thing.” Much to my pleasure, the results indicated the art of handwriting is more appreciated, with 81% of Americans considering a handwritten note to be more meaningful than email or text. On the generational aspect, 87% of the millennials indicated they value handwritten notes more than other means of communication.
When was the last time someone did something nice for you? How did you show your thanks and appreciation? Try sending a handwritten personal note. I would guess it will make a powerful difference.