Hi, everyone, 

Here in the US we’re headed into Thanksgiving week, so what more appropriate topic to dive into today than gratitude? 

Speaking of, we wanted to thank you for your curiosity, passion, and engagement with this newsletter each week. We truly appreciate all you’re doing to explore what it means to lay the foundation for a more positive, passionate workplace!

THE LANGUAGE OF LEADERSHIP

“It’s not joy that makes us grateful, it’s gratitude that makes us joyful.” -  Brené Brown

According to the inimitable Brené Brown, people who have the capacity to lean fully into joy have one variable in common: They practice gratitude. But beyond just thinking about what you’re grateful for, the act. They make sure they are doing something tangible and observable. “It’s not an attitude of gratitude,” Brown writes in Dare to Lead, it’s “an actual practice. They keep a journal, or make a note of what they are grateful for on their phone, or share it with their family members.”

THE WEEKLY FLOURISH

In the past, I’ve spoken about the power of gratitude jars, gratitude journals, and of the power of taking time at work to write down one thing you are grateful for and placing those sticky notes somewhere visible for your team. Today, I wanted to take it one step further and invite you to join Leadology’s gratitude feedback challenge.

 This week, I encourage you to give one piece of positive feedback to your team member. 

The key here is it has to go beyond “great job” and really share a specific appreciation.

Here are some ideas to get you started…  

“Thank you for using [insert strength] to achieve [insert result].  I’ve really come to appreciate that about you.”

EXAMPLE:

Make it Strengths-based...

“Thank you for using your Maximizer strength to meticulously focus on the details of Project XYZ. You DO sweat the small stuff and I’ve really come to appreciate that about you.” 

Or simply make it competency-based...

“Thank you for using your troubleshooting and problem solving skills to help us clean up the mess on that new implementation. Your ability to quickly find the root cause and offer lasting solutions is something the team and I have truly benefited from.”

GREATNESS TAKES GUIDANCE

Recognition is not just a nice-to-have, it’s a responsibility we have to one another-- especially those we work with. Not only from a morale standpoint, but because recognition has been directly linked to employee engagement. In Activate, we provide not only the frameworks, but the exact talking scripts you can use to communicate your gratitude in a positive, impactful way. 

Grateful for you, today and always! 

—Carrie & Team Leadology