How to Keep the Spirit of Thanksgiving Alive at Work Every Day
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Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks and express gratitude. For many Americans, Thanksgiving is the biggest holiday of the year. Families and friends celebrate together, sharing great conversation and wonderful food. While the celebration may look different this year, I suspect it might be one of the busiest days for Zoom as families gather virtually.
Even the greeting card industry gets into the act giving us a way to let people know we appreciate them. We reach out to friends and family to express our love, say how thankful we are to have them in our life, and show our support when they are facing challenges.
However, the spirit of thanksgiving is sorely lacking in the workplace. The numbers show a clear picture. Only 17% of people say they feel valued at work. 85% of people say that feeling appreciated and valued at work is the biggest contributor to them liking their job. When people are thanked at work, their productivity increases 50%. Yet, 65% of people say they haven’t felt appreciated at work even once in the past year.
Organizations are failing to optimize their bottom line because managers are not expressing thanks to their staff. How can you keep the spirit of appreciation and acknowledgement alive in your organization?
1. Catch people doing something right, and tell them how much you value their regular attendance, quality work, problem solving, or great new ideas.
2. When an employee drops by your office with a question about the work you asked them to focus on this week, stop scanning your email. Lift your hands off the keyboard, make eye contact with your employee, and give them a thoughtful answer so they can complete the task effectively.
3. Schedule frequent one-on-one coffee breaks or office drop-ins with each staff member. Ask how their daughter is enjoying her music lessons. Praise them for a recent personal or workplace accomplishment. Ask how you can help them be more effective this week. Individuals who have one-on-one time with their supervisor at least once per week are more engaged and productive.
Thanksgiving is the start of the holiday season. Say thanks. Ensure your employees feel joy throughout the month of December. Create raving fan employees who know that you see them as a valued member of the team.
Want help in creating your own culture of gratitude? Take advantage of a free consultation so that we can brain storm how to turn your employees into raving fans.
