Chloe’s Chronicles:Views from the Management Muse
Last month in Canada and this month in the United States, we formally pause to recognize the importance of gratitude by celebrating a Thanksgiving holiday. The Management Muse can’t read the calendar so she doesn’t know that she is supposed to set aside just one day a year to acknowledge those things for which she is thankful so she extends the practice to most every day. Now, how wise is that?
Chloe asks nicely for the things she receives. When she receives her meals, she sits and shakes hands, when she is offered a treat, she sits up and waves and when I come home, she expresses her delight with a warm and enthusiastic greeting.
I am not recommending a direct transfer of Chloe’s gratitude practices to the business world. Your customers and employees are unlikely to appreciate your sitting up and waving or nuzzling them with your nose to say hello, while a warm greeting and a genuine expression of joy in seeing them would be most welcome.
To make the expression of gratitude more meaningful, be specific about the personal quality or behavior you appreciate. It is nice to thank employees for their work at the end of the day but imagine how much more powerful it is to specifically mention one of that individual’s contributions during the day. How would your team members respond to hearing, “Thanks for bringing your wonderful sense of humor to work today. It really helped us all.” Or, “The way you talked to that customer was gracious and friendly. Thanks for creating that great first impression.”
It’s rewarding to work with Chloe because she always lets me know how grateful she is for what she gets from me. Happy Thanksgiving!
How could you apply Chloe’s gratitude lesson during this season and throughout the year? Click on comments and offer your thoughts, ideas and opinions. Don’t worry—if you disagree with Chloe, she can take that feedback as well.
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