How to give a Power Thank You
Sometimes “thanks” just doesn’t cut it. There are undoubtedly special people in your life and business who have made massive contributions to your personal or professional success but do they know it? Are they aware of your gratitude or the difference they made for you?
It might be time to pull out what friend of mine, former FBI hostage negotiation trainer and bestselling author, Mark Goulston, calls a Power Thank You.
I had the pleasure of joining Mark on his podcast, My Wakeup Call, the other day. It’s a podcast about people that have had wakeup calls where they not only woke up, but it changed their lives, and changed how they would spend the rest of their lives. Needless to say, it was an amazing convo. And in our conversation, he told me about the 3 necessary components of a Power Thank You.
Acknowledge the specifics of what the person did for you…
Something like…. “Cari, thank you for working late the last few days to refine our sales pitch to client X. That hard work contributed to us winning that deal.”
Acknowledge that they didn’t have to do that for you, but they did…
… “There was no job requirement or checklist mandating you work extra hours. You didn’t have to do that for me. But you did, and sacrificed your personal and family time to do it without a single complaint. I noticed that the extra effort you put in motivated the rest of the team to keep up.”
Share what it personally meant to you…
“We’ve had some tough client losses during my tenure and morale lately has been noticeably rough. You largely caused this win for us and our team and it has totally changed the mood to excitement and positivity. You’ve made a huge difference for the company and for me.”
After a conversation with Mark there were several people I delivered that power thank you to. Even if it was years later… the impact was incredible, the connection was amazing and we were both left in a better place. The space that fully expressed gratitude creates is truly profound.
I encourage you to think about the people in your life. People you’re grateful for, or who may have made a difference for you in some way. I invite you to give them a Power Thank You. It could be for something recent or from a long time ago, it could be for something that was a big deal or not that big of a deal at all, it might be to someone you work with, a friend, or someone who is in your family.
I have to believe that we all have some people we’re really grateful for that may not know your real feelings of gratitude. And now you know how to deliver them your thanks. As Mark says, “If they’re a little misty-eyed, don’t be surprised. It just means your thanks is a touch overdue.”