The Power Of A Simple ‘Thank You’

What a day. 

You have a full plate of projects (more than usual) with multiple deadlines occurring at once. Not to mention the last-minute help request from a senior leader who urgently needs a supplier contract while their director is off on leave. You knuckle down to complete all of your own work, and then complete the additional tasks that have come in on top of this. 

Finally, you sit down to clear your emails before the end of the day only to find emails from senior leaders, all delaying progress for approving critical items for what appear to be nonsensical reasons. Sigh! 

The Consequences of Perfectionism in Leadership

In today’s fast-paced work environment, acknowledgement and appreciation often take a backseat. However, the simple act of saying “thank you” can have a profound impact on employee satisfaction and productivity. Recognising your team’s efforts boosts morale and fosters a culture of respect and mutual support. 

A tip for leaders: if the feedback to your employees is prefaced with “I don’t mean to be pedantic but…”  or “not to nitpick but…” or “one minor error….” is it a problem with the facts and figures? Or is it just formatting and stylistic preferences? If it’s the latter, then does this really matter? Let’s face it, a lack of full stops at the end of a bullet point list didn’t sink the Titanic.

Perfectionism is a positive trait in leadership. After all, striving for the best can drive top-notch performance from individuals and teams. But when perfection is taken to the extreme it can become a double-edged sword. Leaders who insist on perfection can inadvertently stifle creativity and halt efficiency, adding to already heavy workloads. Instead of being the final approval step, leaders can become a blocker and compound the sense of urgency.

Balancing Urgency with Quality

No matter the deadlines your team is facing, it’s essential to strike a balance between urgency and quality. If everything is deemed urgent, then either nothing is, or there is a risk of the wrong things being prioritised. This can lead to rushed work, errors, and a stressed-out team.

On the other hand, emphasising quality without considering time constraints can lead to significant delays. Leaders can mitigate this by helping to prioritise tasks and outcomes, setting realistic deadlines, and providing support and resources to balance urgency and quality. 

Balancing quality and urgency comes down to these factors:

• Setting clear priorities to differentiate between urgent and important tasks.
• Avoiding overloading your team with unrealistic deadlines.
• Encouraging open communication to identify any roadblocks early on.
• Providing constructive feedback to maintain quality without sacrificing speed.
• Handling errors and mistakes with grace.

Mistakes Happen

Mistakes are inevitable – it’s how leaders address these errors that can make a significant difference. Concentrate on the solution and learning opportunity instead of focusing on the mistake itself. 

Consider how a response to a request for signing off a document might be better phrased. 

Example 1: “Thanks for this. I have reviewed the document, and without meaning to sound pedantic, the two links won’t work. Correct this, and then I’ll approve it.”

Example 2: “Thanks for your hard work on getting this across the line. It all looks fine to me. I approve the recommendation for awarding the contract and proceeding to the next stage and have signed this document. However, there are a couple of broken links. Can you fix these up before proceeding to the next stage?”

Which response would you, or if you’re the leader in question, which one would your team rather receive? It doesn’t take too much deduction to work out which will garner a better response.

The Psychological Impact of Appreciation and Recognition

Recognition goes beyond moral uplift; it has tangible psychological benefits. When employees feel appreciated, job satisfaction increases, leading to higher retention rates and better performance. A culture of active and expressed gratitude creates a strong, high-performing team and a positive work environment where employees feel valued and are more likely to go above and beyond their duties. 

Recognition is not just for the realm of leadership. Peer-to-peer recognition is equally powerful. 

Try out these ways to incorporate recognition into your daily routine: 

• Send personalised notes of appreciation when someone has done an excellent job.
• Publicly acknowledge achievements during team meetings.
• Celebrate success and adopt this as a regular agenda item for meetings.

These simple communication strategies are effective in promoting a team environment where people are more likely to feel valued. 

Building Trust Through Open Communication

When leaders embrace open communication, they lay the groundwork for trust and transparency within the team. Transparency doesn’t mean ugly truths must be broadcast far and wide; it is about being genuinely open about goals, expectations, and even uncertainties. This fosters a culture where everyone feels informed and united and helps create an environment where everyone feels safe to voice concerns, share ideas, and discuss potential solutions. 

Here are some further strategies to consider to build more open communication: 

• Active Listening: Truly engaging with your team means more than just hearing their words. Practise active listening by providing feedback, summarising their points, and showing empathy.
• Transparency: Share information openly with your team. Clear communication about company goals, changes, and expectations fosters an environment of trust and inclusivity.
• Regular Check-Ins: Schedule consistent one-on-ones and team meetings to discuss progress, roadblocks, and new ideas. This ensures everyone feels heard and valued.
• Feedback Culture: Constructive feedback should be a two-way street. Encourage your team to provide insights about your performance and theirs. This mutual exchange promotes growth and improvement.
• Use of Multiple Channels: Different people have different communication preferences and styles. Find out how your team prefers to meet and how often. 

Employing these strategies will improve communication and build a more cohesive and motivated team. Effective communication is not a one-time thing. It is a continuous process.

Don’t Lose Sight of the Basics

Acknowledgment and appreciation are pivotal in shaping a productive and positive work environment. By balancing perfectionism with realistic expectations, addressing errors constructively, and fostering effective communication, leaders can cultivate a culture of gratitude and continuous improvement. This not only benefits employees but also contributes to the overall success of the organisation.