Whatever Happened to the Thank You Note?

Gratitude—overlooked, undervalued, and one of the worthiest things you can do for yourself and for those around you. For individuals, teams and business units to succeed, it helps to practice being thankful.

With gratitude, we acknowledge successes - whether big or small. It helps us recognize that the source of success lies partially outside ourselves and helps us connect to something larger - to a larger common goal, a larger business victory.

Don’t forget the little things

We worked with a woman years ago who always practiced gratitude. She did it quietly and in this day and age some would say the old fashioned way - she hand wrote thank you notes to co-workers.

Many times she would jot down a thank you on a post-it note and stick it to your computer monitor, keyboard or coffee cup. Other times it was a small thank you card - simple white, with just a line or two penned by her.

It is a small act of kindness but it goes such a long way. Whether that thank you was for the analysis well done, a tough deadline met or for putting the extra hours into a presentation. She thanked people often and it never got old because we knew it was sincere.

Gratitude brings people and teams closer

Grateful people are generous with others and tend to put the good of the collective first. Our co-worker was amazingly adept at empathizing with others and bringing people closer together. She would often say, “This would not have been possible without your hard work - thank you.” She was inclusive and it made a difference.

And we all know how incredibly rewarding it is to be sincerely thanked - whether it be as a group or individually. It feels good and it matters.

Related: Bad Bosses: 7 Tales of Failure

The “Me” and “We” of practicing gratitude

Gratitude is an important element for coming together as a team. There are two ways to practice gratitude.

The Me approach - Think about what you are grateful for and write it down.

The We approach - Say “thank you” sincerely and often.

What if we all practiced gratitude at home and at work?

We’d probably feel better and work better.

By showing gratitude we encourage others to do the same. Maybe it’s time we all give gratitude a try.