Today’s blog post continues with our video series on specific and practical actions you can take as a leader to boost employee morale. Today’s strategy is not new. It’s to say thank you, which is something that I addressed way back in strategy #9. However, the difference in today’s tip is how – it is to say thank you in writing.
Say thank you in writing
Don’t just walk over and thank your employee for going above and beyond, and don’t just leave them a voice mail. Take the time to put it in writing. When you put it in writing, it has more permanence so it is perceived differently than if you just say thank you verbally, and it is a powerful way to build employee morale.
There are many ways to put it in writing
There are a lot of ways to put it in writing – you can handwrite a personal note or card to acknowledge good work. Because it is fairly uncommon to handwrite anything nowadays, it is more noticeable. But if handwriting isn’t your thing, don’t worry, an email carries just as much weight. If that sounds like too much work, write a few words of thanks on a sticky note and put it on your employee’s computer screen (where they will see it as soon as they come back to their desk), or even on the office door. My point is that whatever specific approach you use, when you say thank you in writing, the impact on employee morale is positive and noticeable.
Have you tried this technique? Do you find a difference between saying thank you verbally and doing it in writing? I’d love to hear about your first-hand experiences. Add your comments below please.