How to express gratitude to your colleagues often the topic of training sessions, expression of gratitude by an individual has immense emotional and psychological benefit, it’s widely acknowledged as the path to happiness.
It is that time of the year when you are just wrapping up things and excited to say hello to new beginnings. It is a time to forgive and forget and express thanks too. There are so many different ways in which colleagues touch your lives. There are some who have been with you thoughtlessly and helped you evolve and grow as a person. Then there are those who have groomed you professionally and mentored you through some tough times. And there are people who are either juniors or not really connected with you department and yet they have influenced your life in little ways.
It is time to send a little note of thanks their way. But how do you really go about doing this? Here are some tips:
Express it with a sweet note
And by sweet note, we don’t refer to an affectionate thank you card — though it is an important aspect of expressing gratitude. A sweet note is all about sending across a small token of appreciation. It could be a box of chocolates or a even candies or dried fruits. Something that doesn’t spoil easily and can be savored. Of course, if you know they like some particular foods then confectionary is also a great idea. Always ensure that you send out a thank you note accompanied with the gift.
While expressing your gratitude, make sure the message is personalized and simple. You don’t want to go over the top on it.
Thank them personally
Why not? Depending on how much they have impacted your lives, you should thank your colleagues and peers personally. It can be by taking them out for a coffee or a lunch. Just mention how glad you are to have connected them. You can also express your note of thanks by inviting them to dinner or calling them home. It not only indicates or expresses your gratitude, it also shows that you are friends too.
Send out an card
A card can be an electronic card, a paper card or even a note. You should remember that it is here that words only count. This is a general note that you can send out to your close peers and friends — or even someone who’s been of great help. Do remember that the note should be warm and express gratitude without being too frilled up. The idea is to convey the message in from your heart.
There are plenty of other ways that you can express your thanks to people at work:
- You can get generalized gifts for everyone. It could again be some stationary that is usable at work or a cookies or something like this.
- If you want to thank a team, then it is best to call them together for a lunch or a quick bite in the cafeteria — a small speech of thanks at the end of the fun get-together is enough.
- If you have to thank your boss or a senior member who’s been a great influence you can consider a serious thank you gift like a bottle of wine or champagne, again depending on how your relationship with that particular colleague is.
These are just a few little things that help to express a bit note of thanks. Remember gratitude is always a sign of modesty and you should ensure that you express it to people who matter.