Can a simple “Thank You” 🙏 REALLY make a difference?

When we conducted our “Motivation at Work” survey last August, over 500 healthcare professionals shared that the top three external things that make them feel satisfied, energized and productive at work related to receiving positive feedback.

You probably won’t be surprised that people want positive feedback from their manager, their colleagues and their patients/customers.

One consistent motivator…
even in stormy & uncertain times…
is appreciation.

Now more than ever we need to take the time to appreciate staff and leadership colleagues who are making a difference.

According to Zunin and Meyers in Training Manual for Mental Health and Human Service Workers in Major Disasters, there are 6 phases of a disaster. Most organizations are entering into the disillusionment phase. This is when the tolerance for stress decreases and the need for support grows. Systemic stress and burnout is not an easy fix, especially for those who were affected the most.

 

There are, however, things you can do to create a positive work environment so that the stress that’s within your control is more manageable.

Here are two reminders related to staff appreciation:

Low Tech Appreciation
The low-tech way to share appreciation is to verbally thank people when you are doing your regular rounding. Take your gratefulness up a notch by writing a heartfelt thank you note and sending it to the employee’s home. Maybe for a leadership colleague it’s an email of appreciation or leaving a Post-It note on someone’s desk.

High Tech Appreciation
I recently learned that Wambi (a company that I’m a big fan of) is providing a virtual appreciation tool called Carepostcards. They are generously offering it right now for free. I met one of the founders of Wambi (Alex Coren) and was so impressed with her dedication to improving patient and staff experiences. This free tool is one more example of how a company is using its platform to support healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 crisis. Your organization can sign up to use this by visiting www.carepostcard.com.

Saying thank you is a no-cost, win-win, action that can make a huge difference in someone’s engagement level.

This doesn’t just relate to work, it also relates to home. Maybe there’s someone in your family that’s stepped up while you’ve been working more hours or maybe it’s someone who stepped up and offered support because you’ve been working fewer hours. Taking the time to say thank you not only makes the other person feel better but it’s a “win” for the appreciator as well.

I’m grateful that you’re reading this newsletter today and I love hearing about what’s working or not working in your world.  Feel free to respond to this email with ideas about how you’re incorporating appreciation into your workday.