Recently, Daniel Abrahams posted a piece on LinkedIn about a simple cup of coffee he had purchased for a colleague with a personal note as an acknowledgment (you can read the post below). Not long ago, I received a greetabl box from a client school thanking me for my work with them. One of my favorite memories from working in a school was the day I was doing carpool duty in the morning, welcoming students at drop off. As one parent dropped off her child, she handed a teacher a latte through the car window and wished him a good day. Remember the mix tapes that we’d send with a specially curated list of songs for the recipient?
It seems that as our culture moves faster and faster, and being local is no longer a requirement for meaningful interaction, we have to become more creative and more committed to the ways we show appreciation to others. Otherwise, we risk oversimplifying our relationships and taking each other for granted.
We have heard about “surprise and delight” as a concept for our customers. But what about surprising and delighting our colleagues, the people we supervise, our boss, or our friends and family? The tried-and-true handwritten note and/or food-as-a-thank-you are still great. But how can we uplevel these efforts?
Taking lunch duty for a teacher who you know didn’t sleep well last night.
A quick text or email to share a quality about the recipient that you appreciate. Or, leave a rambling voice mail or voice memo expressing your thoughts (these are always fun to receive).
The recommendation of a podcast or article for your boss related to a hobby you both enjoy.
A favorite beverage of choice for a colleague who did a particularly thorough job reading admission files this year.
A link to a stand-up comedy routine you know will resonate with your assistant who had a hard day.
These are small gestures that help us to create and maintain meaningful connection as life accelerates. They attempt to reflect an understanding and appreciation for the other person, their individual circumstances, and what is important or joyful for them.
Who has seen or done something a little out of the box? Who has been on the receiving end of an acknowledgement that made a difference? Feel free to leave a comment below, send me an email, or comment on my LinkedIn post on this subject. I would love to start collecting ideas like this and sharing them with you.
Here is Daniel’s original post:
I bought her a coffee. No big deal.
Then, I grabbed a marker pen and wrote this on the side of the cup:
"I'm so impressed with your creativity and quality of work. We're really privileged to have you on the team. Thank you."
She thanked me for the coffee but didn't notice the message.
Later, I saw a huge smile on her face.
When our eyes met, she mouthed the words "Thank you."
People want to feel that their work matters.
It doesn't take much to show some appreciation.
It's not about pay rises, bonuses or company cars.
All you need is a $4 coffee and a pen.
A person who feels appreciated will always do more than what's expected.
Agree?
