It’s the day before Thanksgiving here in the USA and many people around this time of year think of things that they are thankful for. First off, I’m thankful that you are reading my blog. I really am. Perhaps you are reading this at work and trying to think of things to be thankful for at work. You should put that you are thankful for having a job at the top of your list. It might not be your dream job, but it’s a job. So many people around the world are poor and don’t have a dime to their name, but you do. That’s something to be very thankful for.
Be thankful for the small wins and the big wins. Be thankful that whatever you are doing for a job from digging ditches to running a Fortune 500 company, you are doing something that will somehow in someway probably help someone, make someone happy, provide someone with a product or service they need, etc. It’s putting food on your table and clothes on your back. You are either using someone’s computer or have your own computer or smart phone you are using to read this post. Yet something else to be thankful for.
My oldest daughter hurt her leg this summer and had to use crutches for a couple of months. I drove her to one of her college classes and helped her carry in her backpack and other things she needed one day. She was complaining about having to use crutches and really feeling sad for herself. When we entered the college we saw a worker in a wheelchair that didn’t have any legs. Feeling sorry for herself turned into being thankful she was only having to use crutches and not a wheelchair. She was thankful for the legs she had, even if one was hurt at that moment in time.
I’m sure the man in the wheelchair was thankful he was able to get around in a wheelchair and that he had a job. There is always something to be thankful for if you think hard enough. It’s all how you put things in perspective.
I’m thankful that I’m able to sit here in a comfortable chair at my desk to type this blog post out. I’m thankful that I can work from home for this part of my job and be here for my family. One of my dogs is sleeping on the floor right at my feet. I’m thankful he likes to come keep me company and be near me. I’m thankful I have a great family, great friends, great neighbors and a pretty great life.
Be sure to thank someone that did something nice for you. It could be a former teacher, elderly neighbor, spouse, … anyone. Thank them for being there for you when you needed them. Thank them for guiding you in the right direction. It doesn’t have to be some life-changing event. It could be as simple as thanking the person that just waited on you at the store or restaurant thank you for the great service.
I recently had to call customer service about my Ring doorbell. I’ve had to call them a couple of times over the past year or so and their customer service department is always so friendly and helpful. I event put out a Tweet last night letting them know how great they are. I told them I’d probably write about their wonderful service in an upcoming blog post. I can’t think of a better blog post to thank them for their wonderful customer service than on this post about being thankful.
While you are thinking about, it write a nice review for a company you’ve done business with lately and post it on Yelp or one of the other review sites out there. If you want to go above and beyond also drop a letter in the mail to the manager or company owner raving about one of their employee’s great customer service.
“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” – Oprah Winfrey
Saying thank you is like a verbal pat on the back for a job well done. Writing out a list of things you are thankful for is way better than taking time to write lists of things that tick you off. Take time every morning or every evening to write down things you are thankful for. It really does wonders.
Don’t be afraid to show your appreciation and thank a co-worker or employee for a job well done. It will make them happy and let them know you truly appreciate them.
Let me give you an example of how a simple thank you will make you happy and someone not thanking you might make you feel a little ticked off or not appreciated.
You are driving to or from work and traffic is crazy. You see someone with their left blinker on sitting in the oncoming lane. They need to turn left, but nobody is letting them in. If you move up they won’t be able to turn. You stop to hold up the traffic behind you so they can make that turn and be on their way. The people in the next lane finally do the same so it’s clear enough for them to get through. You go out of your way to be nice and they either wave or they don’t.
If all else fails you even look for a thank you head nod or anything to let you know that they appreciated what you did for them. I’m sure I’m not the only one that does this. When they either nod, wave or even say thank you by mouthing it (since you can’t hear them through their car windows), you know they appreciated what you did. When they don’t, you probably think they are a jerk, weren’t raised right or having a bad day. I stopped, others stopped and you couldn’t take 1 second to even smile or wave?
Yes, it only set me back less than a minute on my journey, but it’s nice to feel like someone appreciates you taking the time to do something for them. When someone lets me cut in or turn in front of them I wave and sometimes even roll down my window to wave out the window so I know they definitely saw that I appreciated what they did.
Now think of how your employees, people you deal with on a daily basis or even one time feel when you don’t thank them. Think of how you feel when people thank you and say they appreciate you. You feel great, right? If it’s not a level or great at least it’s better than if they hadn’t thanked you at all. Are you a person that let’s people know you are thankful for them or the driver that cuts past everyone that let them through and everyone thinks is a selfish jerk? Maybe the driver didn’t realize or remember to wave in thanks, but they didn’t do it.
When entering any interaction with a person whether it be a co-worker, employee, family member or total stranger, don’t forget to say thanks when it’s appropriate.
When you start thanking your employees or co-workers for a job well done, maybe when they sit back and think of the things to be thankful for at work, maybe your name will be at the top of their list?
Thanks again for checking out my website and blog. I appreciate you. If you ever need a motivational entertainer to motivate and entertain your employees, please keep me in mind. Your employees will thank you …. and so will I. 🙂