The Power of Appreciation

2023 is around the corner, so how do your feel about reflecting on 2022? It is time to take a moment and process your feelings.

Have you had any big challenges this year?
How did you overcome them?
Who helped you?

You need to be resilient to overcome challenges. However, resilience (=the ability to recover quickly from difficulties) comes only with gratitude (=the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation and return kindness). Resilience is an important leadership quality, and who doesn’t want to be a leader these days, in one way or another?

You are probably working from home right now. You see your colleagues daily/ weekly at meetings, you work side by side ‘online’, and face the need to communicate with them daily both in real-time and asynchronously. This can put you on pins and needles (=makes you nervous and anxious), throw you down in the dumps (=puts you in a sad mood), or it can uplift (=encourage) you and make your day.

“In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.”

How do you build friendly relationships with your colleagues, and make their day better?

Here are some ways to express gratitude to people you work with and encourage them.

Say ‘thank you’ in different ways

1. Thank you so much for helping me with… / I really appreciate… / I’m so grateful for…
2. I cannot imagine what I would do without your help / Thank you for having my back
3. It’s very kind of you to help me with…
4. I owe you one = l will help you next time, too
5. Sounds good/ great/ awesome/ Okay! — this is a phrase you can use in a group chat instead of writing ‘thank you’ all the time.
6. You’re the best! = thank you!

The English For IT team has a practice called “Appreciation Friday” where we give a shoutout (=say thanks publically) to one (or several) team members in our common chat. Getting tagged and reading words of appreciation at the end of the business week feels so rewarding and motivating!

Encourage your colleagues

1. You’ve done an amazing job on… (a project) — use it as a compliment
2. Well done! — an encouraging phrase to support your colleague
3. This made my day — use this phrase if someone shows you support or cheers you up (=makes you feel happy)
4. I really enjoyed your presentation! / That was great! — not many people like presenting, they often feel intimidated (=shy and uncomfortable) by doing it in front of their team. Show your support and make a person feel valued!
5. Kudos! = congratulations!

Show support

1. It’s a start /That has potential — the phrase you can use to encourage what your team has done at the beginning of the project
2. Great work, everyone / You guys inspire me — end your meetings with the team with these phrases so that your colleagues feel valued.
3. It’s a pleasure for me to be working with you!
4. I’m very pleased/happy with your performance.

At English For IT, we love celebrating each other’s accomplishments and we think all teams should!

Show that you care about others’ opinion

1. How do you feel about … ? / What are your thoughts about … ? — ask this after you offer a new technical solution/ an idea
2. How are you getting on with… ? = it is a kinder way of asking what is your progress on the project? What blockers do you have? What seems to be going well?

Conclusion

When you express gratitude, keep in mind these three things:

1. Acknowledge different points of view — make sure to respect the opinions of others, and ask them for their opinions;
2. Get people on board — including your colleagues, encourage your team, and keep everyone in the loop (=let them know what is going on);
3. Use positive language/ vocabulary — thank your colleagues and appreciate what they are doing as a part of your team.

Another thing you can do to practice gratitude at work reflects on your progress, and look at how far you have come this year.

Use these phrases

1. I’m really grateful for …
2. Something I need to work on is …
3. I’m proud of myself for …

2022 has been tough (=very difficult). That’s why it’s so important for us to value and support each other through the hard times both in our professional and personal life.

English For IT wishes you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Hope 2023 brings better times!