The Best ROI You Can Have as a Manager.

A Minute of Your Time for Immeasurable Results

“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it,” said William Arthur Ward. And yet we all do this. We know that showing gratitude is important and yet we still leave much of our appreciation unsaid.

Managers are often the worst offenders. We tell ourselves that people are just doing their job. It’s what they’re paid to do. Why should we need to thank people for that?

Except good managers know that if you’re going to lead, you need to lead people. You can manage projects, but you can only lead people. And people respond to good, old-fashioned things like encouragement and appreciation.

“You either understand that on a really fundamental level, or you don’t,” Alan Mulally told Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton in Leading With Gratitude. Mulally credits his leadership success to fostering collaborative environments and connecting people with a bigger mission. And, of course, recognition: “Then it’s all about appreciating them, respecting them, and thanking them at every step of the way.”

Now more than ever, people are operating at heightened levels of stress. Whether it’s concerns about their health, family, financials, childcare, or job security, there’s a lot of uncertainty in people’s lives…