Want to appear smarter?
Send a thank you note
According to a series of experiments by two US psychologists published in Psychological Science, many people don’t send thank you cards because they lack confidence in their writing skills or are worried it will make recipients feel “awkward”.
In reality, the opposite is true. Recipients of thank you messages perceive the sender as being warm and MORE competent. Tweet If you read last week’s blog on the 9 fatal management flaws, this tidbit of insight could really help 1 in 3 of your managers exhibiting a recognition blind spot. Many managers underestimate the positive impact small acts of recognition have on their own social relations and well-being.
Should have, could have, would have
If you fall into the “awkward writer” category, don’t overthink it. Your expression of gratitude will be what the receiver remembers, not your grammar or penmanship.
Be genuine, be honest, be yourself. It takes but a few minutes to write a short email of thanks that will leave a positive impression on your receiver, improve daily rapport AND inspire more great work.
Another reason to recognize more often
69% of employees say they would work harder if their efforts were better recognized. When asked what leaders could do “more of” to improve engagement, 69% of respondents replied “Give recognition”, according to a Psychometrics, A Study of Employee Engagement in the Canadian Workplace 2010. A simple pat on the back or acknowledgement of a job done well is a low cost, high impact way of motivating your employees. 4 more convincing stats for everyday recognition.
#HRTech hasn’t killed the hand-written card
A handwritten letter from an executive, an email from a manager, a stick it note from a peer. These small acts of recognition are meaningful. So are public expressions of thanks and easy #HRTech tools. Today’s social recognition tools are inclusive, mobile-friendly and the medium the majority of your workforce is using in their daily lives.
CSISTARS dashboard enables everyone in the organization to RecognizeNOW/send thanks, share congratulations, like and comment on individual and team accomplishments. HR can also see the managers who give recognition regularly and those who don’t. A metric that often correlates to higher performing teams. Something to bring up in performance discussions.
A combination of old school and new school social tools will amplify your recognition efforts and lead to stronger retention, engagement and results.
Need Help Saying Thank You?
CSI to the rescue! Recognizing an employee for doing great work is a little like coming up with an original birthday or retirement card message. It takes some thought.
Here are 3 effective thank you messages to get you started. Note a few key guidelines and then personalize to make your own.
Like this topic? Here are a couple related blog articles
https://csistars.com/2017/06/02/recognition-101/
https://csistars.com/2017/05/16/recognition-versus-praise-stand/
Lori is the VP of Recognition for CSI International Inc. She has a MBA with a minor in Human Resources, is a Certified Recognition Professional and member of the SHRM blog squad. Prior to joining CSI STARS, she worked at Mercer Human Resource Consulting and Youthography, a youth market research agency. Connect with CSI STARS on LinkedIn to learn how we cultivate a workforce that loves coming to work.
