Successful businesses, churches, and entrepreneurial efforts are not built on a single person’s back. Instead, success takes the efforts of many people.
People that are rarely, if ever, honored.
Warren Buffet once said, “Good leaders make people feel that they’re at the very heart of things, not the periphery.” What does this mean? What can we do to make this true in our organization?
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
The backbone of any organization is not the leader. The person at the front of the company is more of a figurehead, a symbol of what the company represents. He or she may bring great ideas but if those great ideas are not executed or produced, the ideas die on the vine.
This is where your people come in.
The person on the production floor, he is vital to the organization. The children’s pastor who recently preached her first sermon to the whole congregation, she is essential to the church.
While you may value these people, you may not be honoring them. You may not let them know how they helped the organization or church move forward.
Today, I want to encourage you to begin to let the people who help your organization thrive that they’ve helped. How can you do this? Follow the four suggestions below to get started.
Let People Know They Helped
1. Write a handwritten thank-you note:
The art of actually writing something has been lost over the years. Physical letters have been replaced by text messages or emails.
Receiving a nice, handwritten note on a beautiful piece of paper tells the person receiving it that you thought about them. You took the time and effort to put pen to paper.
Write the thank-you note today. Show the person who helped your appreciation through a well-thought-out note.
2. Donate to their favorite charity:
There are causes people get behind. For me, I’ve really gotten behind the mission of Team World Vision and their desire to bring clean water to those who lack access to it. For my wife, she loves the idea of ethical fashion. She sees the value of the men and women making clothing and believes they deserve a fair, livable wage.
When you seek out charities to help, especially your employee’s favorite charities, you show them you see them.
Find a way to donate to the charities that matter to your people. You will thrill them in knowing their hard work benefited an organization they believe in.
3. Tell their immediate manager:
The grapevine is a great way to honor someone who has helped you. Go one or two levels above the person who has helped you. Find their manager or manager’s manager and let them know what the person did.
Letting their manager or someone above know what they did, does two things. First, it allows someone who may not know what they did know they did something amazing. You shine a light on the employee or coworker to their boss or their boss’s boss and people start to take notice of them. You also let them know you noticed the help they gave you. When you let their manager know what happened, that manager will let them know.
Two birds, one stone.
4. Throw a party:
I put this one last because it takes a lot of work and isn’t for the faint of heart. There are times when throwing a party is the acceptable and best way to honor someone.
Did the employee go above and beyond? Did the employee have to give something up to help? Was there a considerable sacrifice that had to be made?
Throw a fun little party at the office or church.
Invite their coworkers, managers, etc… Have cake. Enjoy ice cream. Have fun.
When you let people know you value their help, you let them know they matter.
