Get into the habit of saying thank you to your employees and peers, and your organization will benefit. Since everyone you work with is looking for a least some recognition and saying thank you is a simple task that practically requires no effort there’s really no excuse to forget to acknowledge a colleague’s hard work or helping hand.
Why is it important to say ‘thank you’?
- Happier employees: There’s no shortage of research correlating recognition with happiness. One recent study found that saying thank you for even ordinary help can improve motivation, validate efforts, and positively reinforce behaviours.
- Healthier employees: Research also suggests that gratitude is correlated to health. So the more thank-yous you give out, the healthier and less stressed your staff will be. As a result, your organization will benefit from reduced absenteeism and your team will have the energy they need to produce at their full potential.
- Stronger relationships: The number one thing employees like about their jobs is the people they work with, as noted in our Engagement Report. When you recognize your employees’ hard work — and your employees recognize their colleagues’ efforts as well — the team grows closer together. Stronger bonds result in a better culture and more engagement, a win-win all around.
Reasons to say ‘thank you’
1. Saying thank you keeps us humble
“Ingratitude produces pride while gratitude produces humility.” – Orrin Woodward
2. Saying thank you makes us fully appreciate our blessings
“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” – Oprah Winfrey
3. Saying thank you makes us feel more optimistic
“It is impossible to be negative while we are giving thanks.” – Donald Curtis
4. Saying thank you encourage compassion, kindness and love
“A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue but the parent of all other virtues.” – Cicero
5. Saying thank you shows selflessness
“Make it a habit to tell people to thank you. To express your appreciation, sincerely and without the expectation of anything in return.” – Ralph Marston
6. Saying thank you is good for the spirit
“Saying ‘thank you’ is more than good manners. It is good spirituality.” – Alfred Painter
7. Saying thank you is good for the heart
“Gratitude is the memory of the heart.” – Jean Baptiste Massieu
8. Saying thank you can be a kind of prayer
“If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.” – Meister Eckhart
9. Saying thank you inspires wonder in our existence
“We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.” – Thornton Wilder
10. Saying thank you connects us to the goodness within others
“Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.” – Voltaire
“Thank you” – two simple words with the power to change our entire outlook on life. Unlike many phrases in the English language, “thank you” never diminishes in meaning with repetition. When we use it to guide our conversations and structure our relationships, it can be amazing how often we start to hear “thank you” in return.
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