How Do You Thank Your Team?

How Do You Thank Your Team?

It’s getting to be that time of year again when our thoughts go to showing our gratitude to those we depend on on every day to make our busy lives run smoothly. But what can you do to thank them and make the gesture impactful in their lives, as much as they impact your life?

And sometimes, as entrepreneurs, our teams are not as rigidly defined as a traditional business. We may look around and say, ‘it’s only me!’ but take a closer look, you didn’t get where you are without others.

The team can encompass independent contractors that told you how to fix the website and didn’t charge you; the attorney that kept telling you he was not giving free advice, but the advice was sound; the copy place down the road that only charged you for the copies you decided to keep; the coffee shop that lets you hang out and have business meetings long after your coffee is gone. It could be the postal worker who held a package for you because you were in such a hurry you put the wrong letter in the wrong envelope.

So you see, you do have a team, and they should be on your Holiday list to day thank you! A card saying thanks with a $10 gift card, and your personal message would go a long way. Most of these people help you as part of their business culture; they aren’t looking for thanks, it’s just what they do. Your gesture could really make their day and reinforce that what they are doing, helping others, is appreciated if not always acknowledged.

So How Do You Thank Your Immediate Team?

If you have a close team of professionals you work with, even ones you’ve been able to hire, you will most likely know their likes and dislikes. If you don’t know, ask someone close to them if possible. The last thing you want to do is give a ham to a Vegan, or coffee to someone who only drinks tea.

But if you’re at a loss, we’ve run down some interesting ways to show your gratitude to your team. If you don’t want to give the usual coffee mug, gift cards and potted plants, here are some ideas you may want to consider.

For the team member that always is the ‘go for’ person in the office – literally – give a gift card from a gas station for all the driving they’ve done to drive your company forward (yes, it’s a gift card, but one that will show them you know you’ve used their gas and wear and tear on their car and you are grateful!). This is the person on your staff that drives you to the airport and picks you up, the one that runs out to pick up the late night dinner for the team, the one who drives 20 miles each way to your top customer to deliver the part they need – all using their own car, and never puts in expense for the mileage!

If you have someone that is always fitness conscious, give the gift of a smart watch – one that can monitor their workout(s) and give them the stats and metrics that motivate them through the tough workouts – and the touch times at work. Give it with some really tasty workout jams and a cool water bottle, and your workout freak – I mean team member – will work that much harder for you.

We love to read around here, and the gift of a good story is much appreciated. One that could be read on a new Kindle Fire with additional gift certificate to purchase even more books for said Kindle wouldn’t be bad either. Since we are authors, we like to share good business and motivational books as well as the ones we’ve written.

If anyone on your team is just starting out, maybe a gift card or bundle to a store you know they like – even the grocery store! – would be very thoughtful. For a couple with kids, a night out at a good restaurant may be just the thing. For the couple that likes to stay in, Netflix for a year would be super!

The key here is to know your team, your employees. Do what you can afford and don’t go overboard if your company is on a tight budget. Walk that line between caring and appreciative without stepping over into frivolous.

Whatever you decide to do, make sure your immediate and extended teams know you appreciate all they do to move your firm forward.

What creative ways have you thanked your team that you can share?