The Season of Appreciation November 24, 2010

Thanksgiving Day is once again upon us.  The busiest travel day of the year brings family and friends together to recount the many blessings we have enjoyed, appreciated and, perhaps overlooked, for the past 364 days. Most of us enjoy the traditional turkey dinner with all the trimmings followed by the obligatory unbuttoning of the pants and an afternoon of football or family movies in front of the TV.  One of the many traditions practiced this day is individuals taking a moment or two to share what they are most thankful for before carving and devouring their turkey.

No matter where we are in our respective lives we can all find something for which to be grateful. Personally, my list is too long to print here but I would like to acknowledge the great relationships I have that make every other thing in my life possible, and much more special.  I am certain we would all have an equally long list if we took a moment to first check our perspective.

And perhaps it would be beneficial to all of us, in both our personal and professional lives, to do it more often than once year.  When was the last time you brought your team together to acknowledge their achievements, great and small?  Were there occasions throughout the year when a manager or coworker has mentored or offered assistance that went unacknowledged?  How much of your daily interaction has become expected or common place to the point where it appears to be unnoticed or unappreciated?

In a business setting having a team that feels unappreciated is the leading cause for dissatisfaction which opens the door to myriad of unnecessary problems. I suppose you could say they should be thankful to have a job and receive a regular paycheck.  And, in part, I agree that we should all be thankful for our jobs.  We are all aware of the growing numbers in unemployment.  But if they weren’t there what would your business look like?  More importantly, what affects might you see in your bottom line if your team was fully engaged; putting all their efforts into their work and not dividing their time between job searches, computer games, water- cooler- complaining and all the other distractions that come from the feeling of being unappreciated?

How loyal are your customers?  Do you and your team take the time to let them know you are thankful for their business?  Do you provide the highest quality products and levels of customer service?  I would suspect if your team isn’t feeling exceptionally appreciated they are passing that along to your customers, in both product and service delivery.  And your customers will eventually start passing by your door to find a better place to spend their money; a business that makes them feel appreciated.

The list goes on and on.  A successful business depends on successful relationships with your organization’s team members, your customers, suppliers, vendors, strategic partners, creditors, neighboring businesses, and so forth.  When one area begins to fail it can be a short ride to the domino effect of an equally long list of dissatisfaction.  A simple remedy that is proven, reliable and requires a very small investment is to acknowledge and appreciate these most important relationships. Let’s all make an effort to do this on a regular basis, far more regular than the fourth Thursday of November each year. 

Total Synergy Solutions wishes you all a very Happy Thanksgiving Holiday.  We appreciate your business, your continued support and your interest in our company. We are most thankful for the opportunity to help you achieve all of your business goals and remain committed to providing you with the highest quality of professional, affordable finite solutions for your infinite business opportunities!