People appreciate a ‘Thank you’

by Lois Bylund

“…If you have any word of encouragement for the people, say it.” Acts 13:15 (ESV)

How do you show your appreciation in the workplace?

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. It works both ways.

Some studies have shown that people prefer appreciation over getting paid top dollar.

National Employee Appreciation Day was last week, so at my work, we decided to grill out for lunch on Friday, offering employees hamburgers and sausages. A few employees reminded me we were in Lent, so we picked up some cod fish as well.

[bctt tweet=”Some studies have shown that people prefer appreciation over getting paid top dollar.” username=”womenoftheelca”]

After it was over, my manager thanked me for planning the event. He said we should do it more often!

In the book, “The Five Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace,” authors Gary Chapman and Paul White say that we express thanks more often these days thanks to electronic communication.

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 supervisor and manager, and others we see every day.

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.

Lois Bylund serves on Women of the ELCA’s executive board. She lives in Moorhead, Minn., and is a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in that city.