Now that the Halloween festivities are over, I’m welcoming the month of November with open arms and a thankful spirit. I’m thankful for discounted Halloween candy, good health, my nurturing friends and family and Thanksgiving being right around the corner—bring on the helpings of mashed potatoes! As we head into the holidays and the end of the year, there’s no better time than now to start thinking about what you’re most thankful for this season and to make a commitment to express your gratitude rather than just think it.
When it comes to manners, one of the first lessons that a parent instills in their child is to always say thank you. We ask our kids, “What do you say?” after they receive a gift, we sign off all our emails with the expression in our signatures, and we consider it proper etiquette to send a thank-you card when someone goes out of their way for us. Why do we do this? It’s because gratitude is not only polite but also powerful, especially for your business and relationships.
Acknowledgment is Good for Your Brain
Being thankful can affect your mood in a positive way; it’s difficult to express gratitude and be grumpy while doing it! Studies have shown an association between gratitude and a person’s well-being. For example, the more you appreciate and are thankful for, the more attuned you are to the feeling of being grateful. If you think about it, the more frequently we practice appreciation, the more it becomes a habit incorporated into our daily life.
As a leader, there are a number of ways to express gratitude. Make note to recognize the hardworking team that helps create the backbone of your company. A personalized memo that allows you to highlight a team members’ success in the respective areas they excel at or a team outing to show your appreciation for another successful year of hard work will help show that you care and boost team morale.
Happy Employees Means Happy Clients
We all want to feel valued at our jobs and to feel that the work we put out is recognized. A simple token of appreciation is motivating and encouraging to team members, creates job satisfaction and results in overall better performance.
Companies that spend a mere 1% of their payroll budget on thanking and recognizing their employees “are more likely to perceive greater impacts on retention and financial outcomes,” according to an employee recognition survey by the Society for Human Resource Management and Globoforce.
It’s important to encourage behavior around the office that keeps morale high—not just thanking your team members for a specific job well done. Treat your team to lunch when its’ been a long day or week, share a toast after the completion of a huge project, or pass around motivational quotes on a dreary Monday tied to a bagel to kick-start the week on a more positive, happy note!
When you have happy, engaged employees, I believe you have happy, engaged clients.
Spread the #CustomerAppreciation
It’s not only important to practice acts of appreciation around the office but to help spread gratitude to customers and clients as well. A study by the Society for Human Resource Management and Globoforce found that 41% of companies that encourage and support peer-to-peer recognition and appreciation see a significant increase in customer satisfaction.
Think outside the “loyalty program” box and take a step past the normal interaction to ensure that your customer feels appreciated. Sending a hand-written thank-you for their loyal business or extending a deadline and providing little surprise gifts here and there will go a long way.
Your customers could have elected any business to complete their service needs, but they chose yours—now it’s your turn to spread some appreciation in their direction!
Wrap-Up
There is no method of showing your appreciation that is too small. We cherish the moments where we are acknowledged for our hard work, our creative ideas or our dependability.
As the holiday season approaches, and you start thinking about how to thank your top performers, think Proforma – Industry-Leading Print and Promotional Products Supplier. We have all the awards and recognition gifts that are sure to keep your team striving for greater levels of success.