Two little words… “Thank You”.

That’s all it takes to really brighten up my day. Two simple, powerful words that mean so much.

One of my biggest disappointments in life happened a few years ago. I’d had a girl in my team for whom I’d given more, both professionally and personally than I’d given any other team member. She’s moved South for the role and I went massively over-and-above to try and ensure she was happy. This included enabling flexible working so she could be closer her family, standing up for her after a huge error to ensure she didn’t lose her job, arranging for the company to pay her travel home to visit her family, being called on a number of occasions while she was in tears and providing a friendly and listening ear, and even giving her cash from my own wallet to buy flowers for her mother who was sick. Very few managers (I believe) would go so far for an employee, and very few employees would expect it.

I didn’t do it all for kudos, or for thanks. I did it because it was the right thing to do. Because I wanted her to be happy and settled during a time she was clearly struggling with. Because I wanted to be kind and show her that I cared. After a year with us, she left, having got another job back up North closer to her family. And on the day she left, she walked out the building and just said “ok, bye.”

“Ok. Bye.” That was it. It made me feel awful. Had I not done enough? Had I not tried her enough? What more could I have done? Two little words, the difference between making someone feel their efforts for you are not enough, or letting them know you appreciate them. Like I said, I didn’t do it for the thanks, but in that moment (and still), I felt very let down.

This week, out of the blue, I received a message from one of my current team thanking me for being an inspirational leader. I hadn’t done anything particular, it was unexpected and off-the-cuff but it brought a tear to my eye. To be thanked. To be recognised. To be appreciated.

Often, it’s the big things we thank people for. But it’s important to remember the little things too. Or even the on-going things that maybe get forgotten.

Thank you for listening to me.

Thank you for making me smile.

Thank you for just being there.

I think it’s a huge part of the human psyche that we want, we need to be appreciated. The validation. The value of a ‘Thankyou’ is never depleted, you can say it again and again and it will mean as much to the recipient. Whether at work, with friends, in our relationships, or even with strangers. For something that means so much, it costs nothing… but two little words.

.