Copyright © 2026 Women of the ELCA. Reprint permission is granted for use in Women of the ELCA units, clusters/conferences and synodical women’s organizations provided each post is reproduced in its entirety. If you enjoy this resource, Donate Now.
Each year our company asks us to fill out an “Employee Engagement Survey.” One of the areas where we scored the lowest recently was appreciation. As a supervisor, I try to write personal notes or electronic cards to recognize when an employee has gone above and beyond. I like to recognize their birthdays and work anniversaries. It costs nothing to give sincere praise for work done well. A kind word of thanks or appreciation goes a long way. You can even say thanks to your manager. Email and texts are quick expressions of thanks, but I think a handwritten note takes more time and thoughtfulness.
John F. Kennedy said, “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” I interpret that as a message to live our lives for Christ, to give thanks and praise each day and to pray for others. We have all kinds of ways to show appreciation to our co-workers, our supervisors and others.
Don’t let an opportunity pass to tell someone you appreciate them. You never know the impact a thank you can have on a person.
This message is excerpted from “People appreciate a ‘thank you’” by Lois Bylund from the March 9, 2017, blog of the Women of the ELCA.