Thank You

Thank you for reading this blog.

The Thanksgiving weekend is upon us. Although in North-West Saskatchewan it doesn’t seem like there is nearly enough crop in the bin for it to be thanksgiving weekend yet … here we are.  This is a time for reflection. An opportunity to bring focus and gratitude to the people and good fortunes that we enjoy in our lives.

Writing these blog posts helps me to clarify my own thinking on leadership.  While I derive great value from the process of writing … these posts could just as easily be entries in a private leadership journal.  I offer these thoughts in a public forum primarily to appear impressive but also in the hopes that it pushes your thinking forward and helps you to grow. You provide me with motivation and accountability to push forward, so thank you.

There are many ways to show appreciation to those you lead. Paycheques, vacation days, sick days, barbecues, notes, letters, flowers, donuts, Dr. Pepper, etc. One of the most powerful, yet least used, is simply saying “thank you”.

Here are some questions to ponder:

When is the last time you said “thank you” to those you lead?

When is the last time you said “thank you” to a loved one?

If it has been awhile … What is getting in the way? What is the source of avoidance? What would it take to start saying “thank you” more often?

Don’t expect or assume that your employees, co-workers, team mates or family members know that you appreciate them. Simply thanking someone for a job well  done or a thoughtful gesture will strengthen your relationship connection.

Happy Thanksgiving!