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10 Ways to Say Thank You in Honor of Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a special day to express thanks, gratitude and appreciation…but what about the other 364 days of the year?

As ON Point leaders, it’s critical to recognize and reward your team on a regular basis. Yet, so many leaders struggle with this simple skill, because they often don’t understand why someone should be rewarded for just doing their job.

If this is your mindset, maybe these staggering statistics about the power of positivity can change your mind…

Showing gratitude and appreciate decreases turnover by 22%, reduces frustration by 29%, lowers stress and depression by 28%, 81% of employees say that appreciation motivates them the most and 70% would work harder with more appreciation.

Here are 10 Ways to Say Thank You in Honor of Thanksgiving.

  1. Simply Say Thank You – never underestimate the power of those two little words, and never miss an opportunity to say thank you, especially when it’s said in a hand-written note.
  2. Optimize Occasions – birthdays, work anniversaries, kids’ graduations or a new certification are all reasons to take a beat and not just gloss over and get back to work.
  3. Celebrate Wins – start your daily huddle or team meeting with wins, both personally and professionally, to set a positive tone and encourage high-fives and congratulations.
  4. Cheers from Peers – encourage brag buddies to share successes, good news, extra efforts and gratitude between peers.
  5. Gift of Giving – find out their favorite coffee shop, retail store or spa service and show your appreciation with a personalized and thoughtful gift card.
  6. Time Out – time is our most valuable commodity and a great way to show gratitude with extra PTO, a customized flex-time schedule or a spontaneous invitation to leave work early.
  7. Invest in Development – reward your top performers with an opportunity to get even better by sending them to a leadership development summit like Women ON Point.
  8. Build & Bond – arrange a special offsite team building and bonding event to have fun, play hooky from work and show your team how much they mean to you.
  9. Ask Don’t Assume – appreciate and gratitude is not a one-size fits all so if you don’t know, then simply ask so you can honor them in a way that’s meaningful to them.
  10. Awards & Trophies – public displays of awards, certificates, ribbons, trophies and funny trinkets can lift your teams’ spirits, keep them motivated and recognize their accomplishments and hard word.

Thanksgiving is a special day to reflect on all the wonderful things you are grateful for…friends, family, good food, good health, a fulfilling career, a home, lots of love and more. To take your leadership skills to the Next Level, and to become an ON Point leader, it’s about turning that special day into an everyday practice.