On saying thank you....

Gratefulness is a hot topic amongst personal coaches, but a word that seems far off most peoples minds. It's worth giving it some thought though...

I don't know what it's like with you, but saying 'thank you' is something that didn't come naturally to me, for whatever reason. However, in my teenage years I had friends that really helped me through some tough times. They were always there for me, for a number of years and I knew I couldn't just let their help go by without saying 'thank you'. There wasn't much I could do to return their favour in a practical sense. So, I decided that at least I could practise saying thank you' to them. At first it felt really awkward, but  I noticed that there was a sense of gratefulness beginning to grow inside me. That sense of gratefulness grew as I practised and saying 'thank you' soon became a natural thing to say.

Now, years on, I'm growing a family of my own. I consiously say 'thank you' as often as I can to my children and I'm specific about what I say 'thank you' for. Now it comes naturally and genuinely and my children....they do the same. Naturally. By doing that we have grown a culture of appreciation. Others have commented on how helpful and thoughtful our children are (believe me, they are still normal children that fight and have their off days), could that be a side effect of a culture in which they feel appreciated...? I believe so.
I believe, in a culture of appreciation people:

• ...are more inclined to help;
• ...have higher levels of motivation;
• ...are thoughtful of others;
• ...are generally happier;
• ...are more creative;
• ...have a better sense of humour;
• ...fee part of the team (sense of belonging);
• ...are prepared to work harder and longer;
• ...

Bold statements? How did you suddenly make the bridge to a work situation... When I thought about this subject I was reminded of a survey that Seek did amongst employees. Someone told me about this. When employees were asked about what made them stay with a company, the number one reason they gave was: feeling appreciated!

Just think about it. Could it be that you could change the culture in your business, in your family, amongst your staff, amongst your colleagues just by showing appreciation? By something as simple as saying: "Thank you!"

It might take some practise, but it's worth giving it a go, don't you think?
Let me know how you get on!

Much appreciated!
Mathilde