Thanksgiving was established as an American national holiday in 1942 by President Roosevelt, however “thankfulness” is by no means exclusive to America. Thanksgiving was (and is) meant as an opportunity for everyone to reflect on and appreciate success and the overcoming of adversity, in addition to the religious connotations. The idea was that success should not be taken for granted and that it is important to actually set aside time, officially and unofficially, to appreciate those who contribute to the collective success – and that concept, my friends, applies to everyone!
From this perspective, no matter where you may come from, Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to recognize, acknowledge and appreciate all of the contributions made to organizational success. Particularly when people are expected to do more with less, work long hours, cross global time zones and move quickly from crisis to crisis, it’s important to pause and say “thank you.” If you want your people to continue working with unbridled energy and commitment, it’s vital to remember that money alone is not sufficient currency – appreciation, in fact, goes a long way toward building an emotional bank account with those who are ultimately responsible for that “collective success”.
The power of creating a culture of thankfulness is unlimited. Recognizing people for going “above and beyond” creates a positive dynamic that motivates individuals and teams to commit their very best to you and the organization. The Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For list highlights simply “Thanking People” as one of 9 key practice areas in their Culture Framework. According to Fortune, the Best Companies thank employees personally and in unexpected ways; they thank people frequently and cultivate a “climate of appreciation”. Think about the implications of simply saying “thank you”…
Thanksgiving is a traditional time to give thanks for all that we have been blessed with in our lives – including those we serve, those we serve with and those who serve us. People remember how they are treated in good times… and in bad. Demonstrate “an attitude of gratitude” and it will come back to you many times over.
Have you given thanks to those you work with for all they do for you and the organization?
I am truly thankful for each and every one of you. Have a happy Thanksgiving – whoever you are and wherever you may be from!
Please feel free to contact me at Sheri.Mackey@LuminosityGlobal.com or by visiting our website at www.LuminosityGlobal.com. Next week we will continue with Part 2 of “Influence”.