Communicating Thanks: How to Express Gratitude at Work This Holiday Season
Congrats, you've made it to the 11th level of 2024! And if you’ve been experiencing the wrath of never ending colds/flus/viruses/illnesses like our household has… Godspeed.
The holiday season is an incredibly stressful time for hard working professionals. Add in sickness, days off, and family obligations? It’s easy to get wrapped up in the demanding chaos of the season.
As we enter into the season of giving, don't underestimate the power of genuine gratitude and recognition in the workplace. Since we are all crawling to finish the year strong, you might be surprised how motivating and empowering a genuine note of gratitude can be for the people you work with. When we are all wrapped up in our to do lists, constantly running from meeting to meeting, and locked into our computers, it can be easy to give a brief "good job" or "thank you" but if you're not taking the time to communicate gratitude to the people you work with and work for, you're missing out on a huge opportunity to improve the culture, the camaraderie, and the overall motivation in your workplace.
This is your opportunity to start communicating appreciation and gratitude to the people you work with before the end of the year.
First things first, create a list of people you need to thank. Think of everyone you work with and have worked with throughout the year. Add colleagues, clients, bosses, acquaintances, etc. You can include people who have gone out of their way to help you, people who have lent their time for a networking conversation with you and/or someone you see working really hard who deserves a note of appreciation.
Once you have your list of people to thank, don’t overthink it! Grab a blank thank you card, a blank sheet of paper, or start a new email addressed to each person you want to thank.
From there, use a template. No need to reinvent the wheel here OR spend time spinning your wheels (pun intended) trying to think of what to say and how to say it. I’ve provided professional gratitude templates below.
Here are the templates to help you communicate appreciation -
For when you want to thank a coworker -
Hey coworker,
You’ve been incredibly helpful this week and I couldn’t let the week get away from me without saying thank you! Thank you for your help!
For when you want to send appreciation to your boss -
Hey boss,
I know work has been incredibly busy lately. Sending a note of appreciation for all your hard work. Thank you for all that you do!
For when you want to say thanks to an employee -
Hey employee,
The excellent work you are doing does not go unnoticed. I really appreciate your time, attention, and dedication you’ve been giving to the team lately. Thank you for all that you do!
For when you want to thank a client -
Hey client,
It’s been great working with you lately. Thank you for being so helpful and making this working relationship a success!
For when you want to send a quick thank you at any time -
Hey anyone,
Before we get sucked into the busyness of the week, I wanted to send a quick note of appreciation for all that you do. It matters and it makes a difference. Thank you!
And if you’re sending a thank you note but unsure how to ask for their physical mailing address,
“Thanks so much for your time today, xx! Would you mind sending your mailing address? I have a little note I’d love to drop in the mail to thank you properly for your time”
And ICYMI, there are a lot of opportunities to celebrate and recognize your coworkers.
Life events
Birthdays. Weddings. Buying a house. Buying a car. Graduations. Kids birthdays. Adoption. Becoming a parent. Retirement.
Accomplishments
Promotions. Big presentations. Side hustles. Hobbies outside of work. New clients/contracts. Hitting any kind of goal. Winning awards. Paying off debt.
You can also get creative outside hand written thank you cards and emails. You can send $5 gift cards, grab someone a coffee on your way into work, ask someone what they want for lunch, send flowers, or…simply send a nice text/email/phone call.
Do not underestimate the power of communicating gratitude. Effective communication can present itself in many forms and appreciation is one of the most simple, yet effective ways to cultivate a positive workplace culture amidst the busy holiday season.
