Children enjoy receiving recognition — whether it be at school, in a sport, in a hobby or a comment from Mom and Dad about something positive they did. I’ve always believed that for every negative thing a parent says, she must say 10 positive things. Unfortunately, the reverse is true for adults.
As we grow older, we hear fewer compliments and rarely receive recognition. That’s just a sad part of life. Many managers take their employees for granted and forget how a compliment can change a person’s outlook for the better. Companies may believe that people would only appreciate recognition in monetary form, I believe people would be delighted to get a compliment or a “thank you.”
When I told a team leader that I was leaving the company to work for myself, his response was more of an insult that sounded like, “Oh my goodness! I can’t believe you would ever leave! I thought you’d be here forever just trucking along and being the little follower you are.” OK, so this paraphrase sounds exaggerated, but that’s how his side of the conversation sounded.
On occasion, I’d hear from a coworker how our boss said I did a good job on something. If jaw-dropping was possible, it would’ve happened then. My manager NEVER complimented or thanked me. I don’t know about others as I couldn’t overhear conversations. When I gave my manager a gift as a good luck in a new job — I received an e-mail along the lines of, “You REALLY should not have.” Not even a thank you. I thought we liked and respected each other, but after that — I am not sure she shared that sentiment.
Simply saying two words can go a long way. You boost morale. You make them feel like they’re making a difference and they’re continue putting in their best work knowing someone appreciates the work. Children learn at a very young age that “please” and “thank you” are magic words. It looks like many adults have forgotten the latter.
“Thank you” works for all parts of life. Home, work, clients, friends, family, spouses, pets, colleagues, bosses, teachers. Make those two words count.