In just over a week, the country will be celebrating Thanksgiving. In most workplaces, leaders will be dealing with extra time-off requests, distracted team members, and out of the ordinary events like food drives and team potlucks. You might even be distracted yourself, as you look ahead to your own holiday gathering.
Yet, there is work to be done.
Customer needs must be met. Orders must be processed. Phones must be answered. Problems must be solved. Bills must be paid. Accounts must be managed.
There is one more thing we must not be distracted from. In fact, it deserves even more attention.
We must give thanks to our team members for their contributions. If at all possible, speak to each team member individually over the next eight days. Don’t just thank them for being on your team, but tell them why. What positive impact do they have? What can you rely on them for? How do they support the company’s mission? What value do they add, simply by doing their job? And, what does it mean when they go above and beyond?
Thanksgiving is a holiday. Enjoy it. Giving thanks is a verb. Your action is required.
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Photo credit: woodleywonderworks with Creative Commons license.
