Putting ‘Thanks’ to Work for Your Team

I have an awesome team. We work hard and spend a lot of time together, and it always feels good when I can give them a “shout-out” for their achievements. I’m especially reminded of this as Thanksgiving rolls around. We will all gather around the table next week to give thanks for family, friends and health, but I think we should also remember to express our gratitude to the colleagues who make work life a little easier.
As managers, we might not always be able to reward our teams and colleagues with raises, bonuses or glamorous two-week cruises to tropical paradises. Luckily, there are some things we can do to show them our appreciation.
- Establish a new award specifically for your team. Announce the winner at a monthly meeting and create some excitement by attaching an incentive if you can, such as a gift card for coffee or lunch. Another fun option is to create a “tardy pass” that the winner can use to sleep in on a Monday or sneak out early on a Friday. Use cardstock or specialty paper to make it look “official” and worthy of displaying in their workspace, like the above sample that I created with Design & Print Center.
- Send a letter or e-mail to your boss detailing your co-worker’s achievements. Whether you highlight the work of a peer or a direct report, telling the “big boss” instills a special sense of pride and gives an added boost of confidence. Your note will also be valuable for everyone to have on hand during performance evaluation time.
- If you have the opportunity to celebrate an accomplishment over lunch or after hours, make sure to capture a picture of your team out of the work environment. Use the image as a focal point for a mug or mouse pad. It’s a small – and useful – way to make the recognition more permanent, and it serves as a nice reminder of what the end result of those long hours looks like.
Who on your team are you thankful for? Let us know what you do for them in the comments section!
Related FedEx Office Solutions: FedEx Office® Design & Print Center, Flyers, FedEx Office® Print Online, FedEx Office® Photo from Snapfish
Comments
Post new comment