Not Saying Thank You – Mistakes Managers Make

Lack of appreciation

Taking even routine and regular tasks and duties for granted can demotivate employees. Ignoring work in progress shows a lack of appreciation for their effort. A leader or manager who says “thank you” because they have read the latest management bulletin which says “Don’t forget to say thank you to your people.”  Or worse because it is part of the company policy to thank employees will smack of insincerity. Not saying thank you sincerely to the team is a huge mistake. 

People don’t take too much notice of the words being said. They listen to the tone, see the light in the manager’s eyes, or hear the emotion behind the words.  It is through all these methods of communication that a team member will know if the “thank you” is sincere or not.

Effective leaders and managers

Effective leaders and managers don’t think about having to say, “thank you”.  They just do it naturally.  That is because they know their team is trying and they simply naturally appreciate those efforts.

Gratitude is part of their character.  Being naturally grateful is achieved when the leader or manager doesn’t take anything for granted.  They are aware of and grateful for the efforts of their team and say so because they feel grateful, not because they think it might motivate their team.

They are appreciative. Appreciation is slightly different from gratitude because gratitude comes from a state of being thankful for something received.  Appreciation comes from a state of looking out and liking what one sees.

The act of appreciating doesn’t have to be because of something someone has done for you.  A great leader or manager will see the team member trying for others, or going the extra mile for their family, for example.  By appreciating those qualities, they let the team member know they have noticed the good they have done, and because of this, they recognise the positive qualities those individuals bring to the team.

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