The Two Most Important Words Managers Should Say Regularly

“Thank you.” It’s such a simple thing to say, but it’s incredibly powerful. If you’re a supervisor or in a similar leadership position, a show of appreciation for your team can be even more motivating and loyalty-building than money.

Picture: Paul Downey/Flickr

The Harvard Business Review quotes Mary Kay Ash, who put it this way: “There are two things people want more than sex and money: recognition and praise.”

Saying thanks isn’t mind-blowing advice, but I bet there are plenty of organisations where “thank you” could be said much more often. HBR offers these tips for showing appreciation more effectively:

• Set aside time every week to acknowledge people’s good work.
• Handwrite thank-you notes whenever you can. The personal touch matters in the digital age.
• Punish in private; praise in public. Make the public praise timely and specific.
• Remember to cc people’s supervisors. “Don’t tell me. Tell my boss.”
• Foster a culture of gratitude. It’s a game changer for sustainably better performance.

For more on the magic of these two words in the workplace, check out the article below.

The Two Most Important Words [Harvard Business Review]