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By Jane | August 25, 2009
How To Convey Your Thanks With Impact
Some Practical Thoughts
Graduation time is over and it’s amazing how many people knew my address when inviting me to their graduation ceremony or party, but must have lost it when wanting to send me their thanks.
My mother was a big one when it came to training me about the importance of conveying my gratitude. At Christmas or birthday time it didn’t matter what ugly or useless item I received; I still had to say or write a thank you note. Looking back, what she taught me was a valuable lesson about appreciation. Today, finding thankful people can be like finding hen’s teeth!
If you really want to thank someone for something they have done, or for what they mean to you; I’m sure you want your words to have an impact and the time and effort you put forth to be meaningful. May I suggest you follow a couple of simple guidelines?
Be as specific as possible.
To tell someone you appreciate them makes for an “all right” thank you or compliment. However, to specifically mention to someone a particular act of thoughtfulness such as, always opening a door for you or having your morning coffee ready for you when you come to work makes for a “great” thank you. The more detail you include shows you truly notice and they really do make a difference.
Explain why what they did mattered or is important.
You could simply thank someone for attending your mother’s funeral, which is good. Or you could take the extra step and explained to them, that just having them there, during your time of loss made you feel so much less alone and empty. The difference between the first and the second is the difference between a note that will probably end up in the trash bin, and a note that might be kept to be re-read.
We all like to be appreciated and I’m sure we want it to be meaningful both when we give and receive those words of gratitude. Let me know what you think. You can e-mail me your thoughts via our VCF web page.
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