You know those people in life who make you feel truly appreciated, and how you’d do anything for them? This post is about how you can BE one of those people as you lead your business.
In another phase of my career, when I was working my way up the corporate ladder, I noticed something intriguing about leaders. Some are exceptional at offering gratitude, winning their team’s trust, loyalty, and hard work. Other managers miss the mark on appreciation, and drive their people away.
We’re not talking about some soft-skill bumbo-jumbo. Appreciation is tied to monetary outcomes. A study in Psychology reveals gratitude is one of the most accurate predictors of job satisfaction. When individuals feel appreciated they are more engaged, and highly engaged organizations are 21% more profitable.
On the flip side, when managers get gratitude wrong, organizations pay for it. As this Tedx Talk shares, a mighty 64 percent of recently departed workers left their jobs because they didn’t feel appreciated. That’s an expensive mistake!
My published study on gratitude in the workplace
This idea intrigued me enough to make it the topic of my master’s thesis and dedicate two years to researching, writing, and sharing about it. My published research, “Perceptions of Thanks in the Workplace,” became an internationally recognized study on the way employees receive expressions of gratitude from their managers.
I did an in-depth survey of 883 full-time employees and conducted three focus groups, digging in to find out, “What form of gratitude works best?” and “What mediums of gratitude should be avoided?” which led me to shining the light on seven dark sides, or ways that managers get gratitude wrong.
The results surprised me.
When asked about six different mediums (verbal one-on-one, verbal in a group setting, tangible gifts, handwritten notes, electronic notes/email, or monetary rewards), the most craved form of appreciation was not extra money.
Employees ranked VERBAL one-on-one as their MOST wanted form of appreciation. "Thank you" is free, but those two words are valuable!
You can see more about where I've shared this research here, and highlights from the study here.
Why appreciation matters in YOUR business
I’m climbing my own ladder now, so I don’t have a manager. I’m my own boss, and the fact that you’re reading this means you’re probably entrepreneurial, too. As a mamapreneur, you can take what I found about gratitude at an organizational level and apply it to your growing business—and even your family.
Remember, people want to be recognized as important and valued. Everyone has their own appreciation preferences (think of it like their gratitude love language), but you can’t go too wrong when you’re being sincere. Sincerity comes down to being specific, timely, and personalizing your message.
When you give authentic appreciation to clients, partners, vendors—anyone who helps you in your business—you give them much more than mere words and a reason to feel good. You give them:
- A reason to remember you and your business (because genuine gratitude is rare)
- A reason to be loyal (they’ll want to come back for more)
- A reason to share about you and refer business your way (who doesn’t want to work with a grateful person?)
The world needs more “thank you” cards: 💌 Introducing #MamaMailLove
Knowing how important appreciation is in business, I’m really excited to announce our free gratitude-centered campaign hosted by The Mama Ladder™ International: #MamaMailLove.
Together, let's start a ripple of gratitude at home and in small business. From November 13-20, 2017, sign up for #MamaMailLove and we'll send you a letter with a blank thank you card, so you can pass on the love. You'll also see instructions on how to invite your mama friends and receive up to 16 more free thank you cards.
Sign up here to join #MamaMailLove, and THANK YOU for reading!
(Feel free to share this post. The more, the merrier. Thanks!)
Love,
Crystalee
