Everyone likes to get a compliment when they do good work.
We all get caught up in the high paced corporate work world. When those around us do their job especially well it is rare for others to take a moment and reward them with some upbeat and supportive words. Yet it only takes a few seconds to say "thank you" and it has such power!
Make it a habit to tell co-workers, vendors, bosses, friends, employees or others "Thank you for doing such a great job on this task". Such simple words will brighten the day of all who hear the praise (not just the person who receives the compliment).
An email was received today at vcfo from a long-time friend of the company and relatively new client. Her short blurb made every one's day a little brighter:
"Thank you for sending Gwen and Kimberly to review our accounting/Quickbooks process. Kimberly was able to significantly clean up our Quickbooks and make life easier for me!
I just finished our November billing and it was much quicker than last time. I even have an understanding of our security deposits that I don’t think anyone else has had here before."
These four short sentences were not only sent to Gwen and Kimberly (who always do great work!!!), but the message was sent to the CEO, Managing Director of our Austin office, and several others (including her own boss where she works). When sending praise, always make sure that you copy as many people as you can!
This person was very thoughtful to send such an email. It showed a level of class and grace that is often overlooked in a client / vendor relationship. Too many of us ignore the good work that we encounter everyday.
Praising others is an important skill in cultivating your professional network. I know first hand that a hectic schedule can make someone get too focused on themselves, and thus we can forget to say "thanks". But none of us succeed in our lives without the help of many many other souls. Take the time to recognize people for their contribution in making your world just a little bit better.
Say thank you for the big things in life, as well as the minor things -- and everything in between.
Not every customer thanks a vendor for helping them with Quickbooks. Seems like a normal enough task. After all, that is what we were hired to do! But this client's short email made an impact on everyone who was cc'd.
How about you? Whom can you praise right now?
Have A Great Day.
thom
2 comments:
Thom:
Thank you for a great post!
I'm at the Hilton Garden Inn next to SeaWorld Orlando. I read your post after I'd hand written a thank you note for 8 staff members who'd provided above and beyond the call of service. Thanks for writing the blog post that was forming in my mind!!
An expression of gratitude, written or spoken, takes so little time yet makes a huge difference.
Here's hoping your many other fans share their stories.
Considering I mailed a hand-written thank you card last week to a former boss who ingrained me the notion of writing thank you cards after every meeting - and to every person at the table - your advice here is spot-on.
Thanks!
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