It is easy to feel unappreciated at work. I find that bosses and coworkers can easily forget to say thank you or give you feedback on doing something well. It’s not that they don’t appreciate it or that they think you did something wrong. They’ve just moved on and figured you know you did a good job. But I have a way to get this to change. It’s not an overnight fix but it will start paving the way to getting those words to come your way.
I think you may know what I have to say.
The main idea is to start saying thank you and good job more often to the people in your office. If your boss sticks up for your department or comes up with an easier way to do something, thank them. It may not happen overnight but they will eventually show their appreciation to you as well.
But there are some things that I think need considered
- Be specific about the feedback. “Thank you for reaching out to XYZ Client while John was on vacation. You’ve smoothed things over and they are thrilled they didn’t have to wait a week for a resolution” is much better and valuable than “You are great”. They may have no idea what you mean by “You are Great”. The more specific, the better.
- Be authentic. I run into these people in my work life and personal life. Every time they talk to someone they have a compliment. Monday they like my hair. Tuesday the pants I am wearing are cute. Wednesday I hear them tell my colleague that they like their hair. Thursday they like my colleague’s pants. Friday morning they like my keyboard and Friday afternoon they like my boss’s keyboard. It means nothing when compliments come like this. It feels as if they are only complimenting so they will be liked.
- Think of ways to sneak the feedback in that won’t make them uncomfortable. Many people, including bosses, don’t take compliments well and that could be why they don’t give them. It may make them uncomfortable. You can still say thank you or praise soemthing they worked on and not don’t make it awkward. Just tell them the thing in passing and don’t wait around for a response so they aren’t uncomfortable. You can sneak it into an email about another work task. Here is an example.
Share your thoughts on positive feedback.