Do you know how to say thanks? It’s amazing how far a simple “thank you” can go. We all know we appreciate a good work colleague, but how do we let them know? Feeling appreciated is one of the main drivers for your workmates staying committed to their job. Research shows that when you thank your workmates regularly they will be more motivated, happier and accomplish more.

So if praise feels so good, why isn’t it higher on your priority list? And why can it feel so difficult to say thanks?

Maybe it’s because you’re nervous about appearing awkward, insincere or potentially embarrassing the workmate you wish to praise. Or maybe it’s because nobody thanks you either.

Whatever the reason, your individual efforts to acknowledge, reward and recognise your workmates can make a big difference. Follow these 3 steps to regularly thank those around you that contribute to your success.

1 Be specific about the behaviours you value

Praise the behaviours you want to foster. Focus your gratitude on what your workmates actually do – not the results they get. Sometimes things don’t work out as planned, but the effort still deserves praise.

Focus on the specifics of what they do to deliver results. Describe the behaviours, effort, process or actions you observe and the positive impact these have on results. Are they working hard on a project, putting in extra effort, managing tricky clients or influencing other departments to get onboard with your plans?

Giving specific praise to your workmates provides them with clarity on what they do well, let’s them know that what they do matters, and encourages them to do more great work.

2 Make it personal

If you go around thanking everyone for every tiny thing, it won’t mean much when recognition is actually deserved. Learn the difference between genuine appreciation, which is from the heart, and flattery, which is just from the lips. Your thanks has to be genuine, or they’ll know it’s fake. When there’s a genuine reason to thank a workmate, make their day and tell them.

Don’t just dash off an email, text or WhatsApp with a thank you message though. Spend just 3 minutes to handwrite a thank you note. In our digital world, the extra personal effort will be noticed, appreciated and feel special.

3 Do it now, do it often

Write a note or make a point to personally thank your workmates right away, as soon as you observe something worthy of praise. Don’t wait until the next staff meeting to praise your workmates. Giving one-on-one appreciation in the moment when you observe great work is more powerful and meaningful than thanking your workmates publicly. You’ll also be better able to be specific about the behaviours you observe and why you value them.

Use these simple tips to regularly acknowledge,

support, reward and recognise your workmates.