I would like to invite you to extend appreciation everywhere -- at home, at work, at school -- wherever you want to acknowledge those who make your life brighter. Acknowledging others and demonstrating gratitude is one of the simplest, quickest ways to boost morale and create a more positive environment.

Showing appreciation is also one of the key methods a leader can use to improve customer and workplace relationships. During these times of remote work, the level of intentionality that is required is so much higher than before.

So, as we move into the holiday season with Thanksgiving right around the corner, let's explore some of the best ways that you can show your appreciation to your team to help them feel valued and important.

Bring gratitude into meetings. Showing appreciation will always feel more impactful to the recipient if there are others around to note it, so don't find a quiet moment to let a team member know they did well. Acknowledge them as publicly as possible. With that said, I will also say that there are some personalities that really are private and don't care for public recognition. The only way you will know that is when you take the time to understand the various personalities within your team.

Be specific with your praise. Don't be the boss who cried wolf by generically offering vague, meaningless accolades as a mere tactic to boost morale. Your team will see right through it. Instead, challenge yourself to be on the lookout to acknowledge who the person is being, the actual observable behaviors, and the impact that it has had on you, on others and on the business. Not only will this help the appreciation feel authentic to the recipient, it will allow others to know that they are valued and seen.

Hand write a personal note or card. This particular gesture combines the sentiment of both options above. It provides the recipient with something they can use to tastefully display the acknowledgement or as a talking point with their colleagues, and it is specific and personalized which makes it feel genuine and special. Perhaps, you can include a treat - think flowers or a gift card - with the note.

Lastly, I'd like to remind you that showing your appreciation - early and often - starts off as feeling like kindness to your team, but it ends up fostering the idea that relationships are just as or even more important that the transactions that occur every day.

On that note, I'd like to offer my appreciation to each of you. However you have come to be on this mailing list, I am so very grateful for your support, and I wish you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Inspiring You To Thrive,

COACHING QUESTIONS

TRUE OR FALSE?

False. In fact, according to this study (conducted last year by the Institute for Work & Health), a majority 58% actually chose "give recognition" as the number one way a leader could improve engagement with most even agreeing that there is no such thing as "too much recognition" as long as it's sincere.

LEADERSHIP SPOTLIGHT

Jasmine Yazid

In September, 16-year-old Jasmine Yazid began planning a dusk-'til-dawn run with members of the Boys and Girls Club in Trenton, Ohio. Because of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the annual Run for Club Kids Fundraiser, which is normally done in a larger group setting, was canceled.

In order to continue raising money for the organization, Jasmine, along with over 260 other supporters, split into 27 different teams to try and find a way to still run in a distanced manner.

Jasmine came up with the idea of a relay, but instead of passing batons, each runner would maintain an approved social distance as they finished and began each new leg. She trained with her team, and hustled to get donations, and on November 1, 2020, they all met up at 6:30am to begin the fundraiser run.

The weather, however, did not behave, and by early afternoon, they were getting rained on. The team stayed stalwart though and finished up the race as the sun set around 5:38pm. Ultimately, the innovation and the sacrifice was worth it because Jasmine's team raised over $9,000!

LEADERSHIP RESOURCE

VantageCircle

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Sheeba Varghese is a Professional Certified Coach, speaker, and mentor to many. Her passion is to inspire and equip men and women to lead with excellence and authenticity within the spheres of influences that they are called to impact in life. The spheres may be in a home, on a team, in a classroom, among partners in a firm, or within management, to name a few.

In her time apart from clients, Sheeba enjoys time with her husband, Santosh, and their 2 sons, Sam and Steven. She loves great movies, a good book, decorating and eating at the wonderful restaurants of San Francisco.

LEADERSHIP ESSENTIALS: