Expressing Gratitude - Workology

Expressing Gratitude Expressing Gratitude Every Monday Blogging4Jobs invites our resident Etiquette Expert, CareySue Vega (@Etiquette101), to share tips when it comes to etiquette in the workplace during our own Manner Monday segment. This segment is for the practitioner who is focused on creating a more etiquette-friendly environment.   Expressing Gratitude Coming off of the long Holiday break, many of us have to-do lists a mile long, meetings to attend, goals to set, and just plain getting back into the swing of things. Whew, I don’t know about you but I’m overwhelmed as I’m filling out my calendar and getting everything scheduled with that fresh burst of excitement and goal setting that a New Year brings. One of the things I plan to focus on this year is Gratitude. I’ve written many times about the importance of the handwritten note {{{INSERT LINK TO: Thank you notes }}} and to be perfectly honest… I haven’t been real good about putting pen to paper lately and getting those handwritten notes out the door and into the mailbox. Just a couple of days ago, I received an unexpected package from someone who does freelance work for me. In the package was a ‘Cheers to the New Year’ goody bag with a branded mug (my brand not hers), packets of hot chocolate and a small package of mini marshmallows. That was all fun and special, but the icing on the cake was the sincere short note she wrote thanking me for trusting her to tend to my business needs. That handwritten note is what made me stop and say wow. During the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, she took time to show me gratitude. Showing gratitude to others is what it’s all about and I want to make sure I share that feeling with people in my circle who I appreciate. Too often we take things for granted we think someone knows they’re appreciated. Of course they should know, because we keep reaching out to them for their services right? They know they’re appreciated because we keep hiring them and paying them right? There is an understated assumption. But when we put pen to paper and share a few honest and kind words that’s the key to building and nurturing relationship. We all like to know we’re appreciated; we don’t like to have to read between the lines of an assumption. In the past, I’ve carved out time on my calendar each week to send at least one or two notes, sometimes more. I’m not sure what happened, I got busy; other things became ‘more important’, and whatever it was my note writing habit has faded. .ai-rotate {position: relative;} .ai-rotate-hidden {visibility: hidden;} .ai-rotate-hidden-2 {position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;} .ai-list-data, .ai-ip-data, .ai-fallback, .ai-list-block {visibility: hidden; position: absolute; width: 50%; height: 1px; z-index: -9999;} So with all of the goal setting and excitement 2015 is ringing in, I’m putting gratitude at the top of my list. How do you plan to show people you appreciate them this year? I’d love to hear you thoughts.