Thank You Thursdays
I like to think that I’m a person who expresses gratitude easily and often. When I’m at a restaurant and the server refills my water glass I always say, “thank you.” I thank the people at the bank who take my deposit every night. I thank the barista at the local coffee shop for my caramel latte. When I’m traveling, I even write “thank you” on a note card and leave it in my hotel room along with a small gratuity so the housekeeping team knows I’m grateful for the clean towels each night. I say thank you to all these people every day who I don’t even know. Do I extend that type of gratitude to the people I work with every day?
It was this thought process that motivated me to start “Thank You Thursdays” this month here at Rogards. Each Thursday morning for the month of November, those who want to participate have met as a group at 8:05 on our showroom floor. Each person has said “thank you” to one of their colleagues for something they helped them with. When I first announced this plan, I was worried. I was worried people would think it was cheesy. I was worried people wouldn’t participate. I was worried that life and work would get in the way, and it would be more trouble than it was worth for our team. But as I’ve watched it unfold, I’ve been so extremely happy that we’ve done this.
People have been excited to participate. Some of our account managers who aren’t in the office on Thursday mornings (because they’re out in the field with customers) have emailed me thank you notes to share with the others who are there. Many people have had more than one “thank you” to share each week. And the “thank you’s” haven’t just been for help on a recent project – they’ve been a broader kind of gratitude. A new employee thanked everyone for welcoming her so warmly. People have been thanked not just for help with tasks, but for their inherently helpful personality traits – for patience, for being positive. I like to think that through this process our team, which was already a tight knit group, is growing closer.
I’ve seen the power of gratitude working in our team and in our company. And as always, I want to make sure we extend our gratitude to you, our valued customer. Because without you, our team would have no reason to come together at all. And for that, I’m truly grateful. Thank you for inviting us into your workplaces, for your confidence in our ability to meet your needs, and for putting your trust in us.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Tonya Horn, President
Rogards