How to Give Someone Encouragement & a Word of Thanks

Offering words of general encouragement and thanks lets others know you appreciate them and ensures your own standing as a caring and polite person. A kind word to an employee, student or friend generates goodwill and understanding, and is an essential part of both personal and professional relationships. People who are thanked and encouraged will appreciate their relationship with you and be more willing to cooperate and help in future interactions.

Instructions

Thanking Employees, Students and Friends

1. Praise employees for a completed project, and they will generally be more loyal and more productive. It is important that every employee understands her role in a given project and can see the fruits of her labor. You need to understand fully what a given employee does to properly thank and encourage her. If you're unclear about the role of an employee in a project, your thanks will seem disingenuous and may actually be perceived as condescending. Be specific as to the reason you are thanking an employee. For example, if you are thanking a custodial employee, be sure to tell him how your operation could not run efficiently without his work in maintaining a safe and clean workplace. You can be slightly personal and remark on how much you appreciate an employee's enthusiasm or humor, but try to focus on her professional contribution as much as possible.

2. Encourage your students and they will perform more productively in the classroom setting. It is important to note that the nature of your thanks and encouragement will change, depending on the age of your student. The decorum of what is appropriate for showing gratitude changes as a student ages; a graduate student can be thanked more personally, while undergraduate or younger students should be thanked in a more professional manner. Students should be thanked and encouraged, but extend your thanks to all students equally. If students believe your attention and gratitude is too focused on one particular student, you might be accused of favoritism. Again, be specific in your thanks. A struggling student needs encouragement as much as a thriving student, but your praise should be tailored differently. A struggling student should be praised for any improvement, even if he is not performing as well as the rest of the class. It is also appropriate to praise the class as a whole, and let them know how much you enjoy working together as a group.

3. Thank your friends. Since professionalism and favoritism are not issues, it is easier to offer thanks to friends. However, friends can also be those you're most likely to forget to thank, as it's common to take a friend for granted. It is still important to remember to thank and encourage friends, as failing to do so might leave them feeling neglected. Be specific in your thanks, but it's okay to praise a friend for just being your friend.

4. In all of these cases, if you are less comfortable saying thank you or offering words of encouragement, a simple written note or card can work just as well.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember to treat those you thank as part of a team. Praise can seem condescending if it is not clear you are part of the same team.

• When in an educational or professional setting, it's best not to get too personal in your praise or encouragement. This could be inappropriate for your workplace or classroom, and may be misinterpreted.

References

• Employee Productivity and the Workplace
• Council of Graduate Schools