A friend of Dale Carnegie of North Dakota recently got a surprise e-mail in her inbox. It was from one of the global vice presidents of her medical research company. She had recently created a spreadsheet to help her team with data clarity. She had done this on her own and it was very well received by the members.
The e-mail was short and sweet and came with complete surprise.
“Dear Susan, thank you so much for supporting the team; great job!”
Not only did the note make Susan’s day, it made her week. It took the V.P. probably 30 seconds to write it, but the memory will last a long time.
In this economy, where there are short staffs, long hours and increased workloads, there never seems to be the time to jot a thank you and pass it down the ranks. Yet, it makes so much sense in a variety of situations.
In fact, it should be standard practice. Appreciation is at the heart of the Dale Carnegie classic, How to Win Friends and Influence People. Here are the six dimensions of T.H.A.N.K.S.:
- T: It always starts with team. Organizations are an array of relationships and it is critical to appreciate each employee for what they do.
- H: In today’s challenging economy, an employee’s hard work that goes beyond the job description and helps the organization get a little better, normally does not expect to be acknowledged for the effort. These employees must continue to be valued.
- A: Having a positive attitude and being in a culture and climate that reaffirms these makes coming to work every morning just a little easier.
- N: In this fast paced environment, being something as old fashioned as nice often gets taken for surprise. Niceness is the foundation of relationship.
- K: Knowledge is at the heart of human capital. The best expert is the one doing the job and constantly making it better.
- S: Everyone once in a while, it is critical to make someone feel special regardless of occasion. Birthdays are fun for that very reason. When it happens at work, it really has impact.
Of course, thanks mean much more than the combination of team, hard work, attitude, niceness, knowledge, and special, but as an acronym, THANKS is a powerful motivator.
You can attend Effective Communication & Human Relations/ Skills for Success on Thursday, February 23 in Fargo and build appreciation through the strength of relationships.
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