On Showing Appreciation

I found this piece which I had published last year over in the Lumpy Kingdom. There was a good insight in it that I think is worth sharing, especially for all you folks out there who are plotting your 2017 moves.

One of my jobs, being the guy who works at home, is taking care of laundry, dishes and cleaning various things, to name a few.
One of the most pesky of these jobs is cleaning the kitchen windows. These windows are are right behind our stove and the reach to get at them is a pain in the ass.
But it is what it is and they were a bit on the filthy side, so I just went through all the acrobatics of cleaning them and didn’t think much about it after that.

Cut To The Next Morning

I’m walking through the kitchen, after my wife had gone off to work. On my way by, I happened to look at the stove and see the note that is posted above.
I chuckled to myself and carried on. But there was something about that note, that gesture of appreciation, that made me think…wow... that was a nice thing for her to do. She didn't have to do it. But if you knew my wife, you’d know she does stuff like this all the time.
As I thought about it some more, it occurred to me that this is one of those great business gestures that aren’t really done enough these days.

Showing Appreciation Is One Of The Easiest Things To Do

If somebody does something for you that you appreciate. why not just leave them a note, or sent them an email? Or a little thank you card. Or even just tell them face to face that you appreciate what they did.
Maybe it’s a favour at work, or just a really good job on a project.
Maybe it’s a blog post that resonated with you or helped you figure out something you were struggling with.
Maybe it’s someone who came through for you in a pinch.
Or someone who just does good stuff all the time and never seems to be appreciated for it.

Little Things Really Do Mean A Lot

Appreciation is one of the best ways to build loyalty, and if you are a boss of any kind, a sure fire way to be seen as a good one.
The note on the stove from my wife was just a little thing, but it said a lot about how she appreciated what I did.
I did it because I knew that this is one of those jobs she wasn’t crazy about doing herself. Mainly because getting the windows to open up so you can clean the outside is a total pain.
But there you have it in a nutshell. I did something for her that she didn't look forward to doing. And she told me how much she appreciated it.
Badda Bing Badda Boom.
Just imagine how much better the world would be if everybody was to do that for everybody else who did something for them.
I think it would be pretty cool.

If your business has reached the point where talking to a communication professional would be the preferred option to banging your head against the wall or whatever, lets talk.

Download my free ebook, Small Business Communication For The Real World, here:
 https://onwordsandupwords.wordpress.com/2013/11/24/small-business-communications-for-the-real-world/

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                     All content copyright 2016 Jim Murray, Onwords & Upwords Inc.

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