Have you ever felt unappreciated? Talking with coaching and training clients, I hear how leaders and management feel unappreciated. It often goes deeper than that, and may be imbedded in, and trickle through, the entire organization.
Gratitude goes beyond the words, “thank you.” Body language, tone of voice, and of course, listening and acknowledging, also convey the message of value and appreciation.
Let’s say Noah works in an office as administrative staff answering the main telephone line. He transfers hundreds of calls each day to various employees. Noah “buzzes” the appropriate person to let them know who is on the line before transferring the call. Professionals have a variety of ways of greeting the “buzz call.” These range from “hello”, “yes” ,”uh huh,” or “what” with a variety of intonations that reflect anything from appreciation to irritation. They may or may not say “thank you” before clicking the receiver.
If Noah senses the irritation, even if they are not irritated with him, what happens? It may impact organizational morale, productivity, and the relationships. It may also affect the organization’s bottom line. How does that happen? Noah may project the lack of respect he receives on to customers and vendors who call the main telephone number.
Would the irritation that the “professional” conveys to Noah be acceptable for Noah to convey in answering the phone? What leads an organization to not ask and expect that same level of courtesy and respect amongst staff?
People sometimes let their guard down at work and show up at as their less than best. Feeling irritated or frustrated because you receive yet another call and face an already overwhelming workload happens. Be aware of the feeling, pause to ask yourself what you need, and take steps to meet it.
Are you sending energy of gratitude to your colleague and teammates? Be mindful of the tone of voice and body language and words used when speaking with each person in the organization. One way to get past feeling unappreciated is to show appreciation. Find one thing to be grateful for each day, and make a commitment to specifically thank someone once a day, week, or month.
Notice how you feel when showing appreciation and the impact it has on those around you. Gratitude changes the energy, which changes morale, productivity, and relationships.
Learn more in Connective Communication: In Organizations or sign up for coaching.
