How to Make Your Employee Thank Yous Last All Year

Employee thank yous during the holidays are certainly appreciated. But why limit giving thanks to once a year?

Two words (Thank You!) have the power to transform our health, happiness, performance and success, writes Jon Gordon, author of Soup–A Recipe to Nourish Your Team and Culture, in a blog post, “The Power of Thank You.”

“Research shows that grateful people are happier and more likely to maintain good friendships,” he writes.

According to the Institute of HeartMath, gratitude also improves cardiovascular health and reduces stress.

“It’s actually physiologically impossible to be stressed and thankful at the same time. When you are grateful you flood your body and brain with emotions and endorphins that uplift and energize you rather than the stress hormones that drain you.“

[Companies] that successfully attract and retain top talent intentionally build a culture of inclusion and appreciation. Department managers in these organizations regularly “feed” their staff with appreciation and affirmation, notes physical therapist Devin DeBoer in his LinkedIn post, “Give thanks to your therapists—all year long!” He writes:

“When you’re busy managing your facility—and fighting the daily fires—it’s easy to (accidentally) ignore your team. That’s why organizations that are committed to maintaining a culture of appreciation create culture plans—goals and activities that can be measured an implemented all year long.”

He observes that our bodies crave food every couple of hours, and our emotional needs are no different.
Successful employee appreciation programs recognize both large and small milestones and accomplishments, whether “employee of the moment” or “employee of the year.”
To help you plan a year-round employee thank you program, DeBoer suggests using Jon Gordon’s implementation guide for “Soup”.
And, use easy, powerful programs such as on-the-spot thank yous. Make a point of celebrating employees when they do great work daily.  When employees make a great sale, handle a difficult service problem, train a new hire, make a safety goal or add value to your business in an important way, thanking them for their contributions makes you, the employee, and the workplace feel great! Plus you are reinforcing behavior  that positively impacts your business. Make a habit of thanking employees daily and you’ll cement a culture of respect and appreciation in the long-run!
The more often you give employee thank yous, the easier it will get. As Gordon writes:

“Gratitude is like muscle. The more we do with it the stronger it gets.”

To learn more about building a vibrant, everyday culture of employee thank yous, download our FREE eBook,  “Transforming Your Workplace with Gratitude.” You’ll be amazed at how easy it is!


About gThankYou, LLC
Turkey Gift Certificates and Turkey Or Ham Gift Certificates by gThankYou! are two of America’s favorite employee gifts and can be redeemed for any Brand (Turkey or Turkey Or Ham), at virtually any Grocery Store in the U.S.
gThankYou, LLC provides company leaders with a variety of easy, meaningful and affordable ways to recognize and reward employees, holiday time or anytime. gThankYou! Certificates of Gratitude and our free Enclosure Cards are personalizable including incorporating your company logo. And, nearly all orders ship same day.
gThankYou, LLC (www.gthankyou.com) is based in Madison, Wisconsin. Contact: Rick Kiley, Chief ThankYou! Officer, gThankYou, LLC at info@gthankyou.com or 888-484-1658.
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