“No one ever died from being over-acknowledged or over-appreciated.”
Gratitude builds bridges. People who feel appreciated are happier, more satisfied with their work, and more productive. Moreover, gratitude benefits the grateful person, too. Grateful people are measurably happier and healthier than ungrateful ones. It makes sense that the more opportunities we take to express gratitude and appreciation, the happier and more successful we will be.
However, there is an art to acknowledgment.
What Elements Should All Thank-Yous Share?
Your thank-you must be authentic. Writing a perfunctory Thanks will probably not register as genuine gratitude to your reader. Most people have finely tuned sensors for insincerity: If you plan to thank someone, be sure you feel appreciative.
Additionally, be specific in your thanks. Use the person’s name. Tell them precisely what you are grateful for. For example, rather than writing Thanks for helping me with the Jones project, you could write, Thanks for digging up those old files for the Jones project – you saved me a lot of time.
Being specific shows that you’ve thought about the effort the other person put in and are not taking them for granted.
Thank-Yous That Stand Out
Any thank-you is better than none. But some thank-yous will do more to build a relationship than others. Consider these options the next time you want to show genuine gratitude:
A Handwritten Thank-You Note
Handwritten notes are the gold standard in written thank-yous. Most people rarely receive a handwritten document, so the envelope elicits curiosity. The effect is powerful when the receiver sees that you have taken the time — and invested in a stamp — to tell them how much you appreciate them.
An Emailed Thank-You
Emailed expressions of thanks are also influential. In fact, emails that close with thanks are 36% more likely to trigger a response than those that don’t. As long as you are sincere and specific, what matters is that you show your respect for the person by putting your appreciation into words.
A Public Shout-Out
Often, we feel that our private efforts are unknown or overlooked. A public shout-out of thanks—whether in a team meeting, on social media, or in a company-wide publication—gives your recipient the satisfaction of having her work acknowledged not just by you but also by others.
Examples of Effective Thank-You Notes
Here are a couple of sample thank-you notes.
Dear Janelle,
Thank you for agreeing to help the team when we were short-staffed last week. I know it meant rearranging your plans, and I appreciate your willingness to step up for the team.
Dear Andy,
You are wonderful! I thought I would never be able to solve my computer problem, and you fixed it in just a few minutes. Because of your help, I could meet the deadline on an important project for the executive team. Thank you so much for your support.
These notes convey sincerity, specificity, and simplicity – all factors in effective acknowledgment.
Just Do It!
Whether you choose monogrammed personal notepaper, an email note, or public praise, the point is to step up and thank people when they have done you a service or if they are giving you their business.
They’ll feel a boost as long as your appreciation is sincere and authentic. And guess what? You’ll feel great, too.
Resources
I recently became a columnist for Inc.com. Here is my latest column on the perils of writing Thank You in Advance.
Looking for the right words to express your thanks? Check out these ideas.
Here’s another post about non-boring ways to say thank you.
