Looking for tips on writing “thank you emails to employees”, read How to Write Thank You Emails to Employees.
As a team member in an organization, one very important skill you should learn is how to appreciate your teammates. Lots of times teammates take each other for granted. This is because, in a proper team, most people view each other as equals. Therefore, there is a tendency not to appreciate one another. This should not be the case.
When you do not appreciate your teammates for going the extra mile or doing you favors, over time, your interpersonal relationships will become weakened. In turn, this will affect your performance as a team and eventually affect the company’s overall goals. This is why it is vital to build a culture of appreciation among teammates.
Why Appreciate Your Teammates
Below are some professional reasons to appreciate your teammates:
- When you appreciate your teammates, you encourage mutual respect among you. Your teammates will get to know that you place value on them besides the work that they do at the office with you.
- It is human to want to be appreciated. Appreciation makes us feel accepted and loved. Therefore, when people thank us, it gives us a sense of worth. This is how your teammates will feel when you make it a practice to appreciate them.
- Showing sincere appreciation is one of the qualities of a good leader. You will naturally be ahead of your teammates when you practice being grateful. In fact, your teammates, unconsciously, may start looking up to you for leadership because of this quality.
- A workplace environment where people say thank you to one another reduces tension and unhealthy conflicts.
- It also helps to build trust among teammate. That is, whenever you appreciate your teammates, you win their trust gradually. However, it does not guarantee mutual trust among teammates, because other factors are required for this to happen.
Misconceptions about Appreciating Your Teammates
We will address some wrong perceptions people hold that discourages them from appreciating their teammates:
- In a team there may be wide age gaps among members. Older teammates may find it difficult to appreciate youngers ones for cultural or other reasons. Inasmuch as we do not deny that age matters, in a professional environment, things like age should not be a factor that should make you to not appreciate your teammates. Showing gratitude to someone younger than you, does not diminish your worth.
- Some people find it difficult to send what seems like a private email saying thank you to a teammate of the opposite sex. Most times, these people dread the fact that the colleague may misinterpret their innocent action. It is good to be cautious in this case, but in a team, your relationship is professional and should remain that way. If this is the case, then none of your teammates should misjudge a genuine thank you email.
- Some people see no need to send a private email to someone that that they can easily walk up to and say; “Hey, thanks buddy”. It is important to point out that people are different. An informal verbal “thank you” may suffice for some people or some occasions. However, there are times you would need to go beyond that. Sending an email makes it professional and gives you the opportunity to properly appreciate your teammates whenever necessary. You drive the appreciation deeper into the hearts of your colleagues when you do this.
Caution in Showing Appreciation
Observe the following precaution when sending a thank you email to appreciate your teammates:
- Do not overdo it. Only appreciate your teammates via email when it is necessary. Your email will not be taken for granted. If you keep sending unnecessary thank you emails, a time would come when the person will not bother to check your emails. Or worse still, trash them immediately after seeing them.
- If your teammate is of the opposite sex, exercise serious caution. This is especially important when you are male and the teammate is a female. It even becomes more delicate if the woman is married. In fact, it applies to both married men and women. Sending a private email to a colleague of the opposite sex that is married is sensitive. The person’s spouse must be able read your email and see nothing suspicious.
- Avoid bias. When you thank one teammate for something, also appreciate the other for doing something else of equal magnitude. If you seem to only appreciate certain teammates, you will create division in the team over time. This will defeat the purpose of the whole thing.
- Even though it is an informal conversation, avoid sounding over familiar. This is important especially when it involves an older teammate that is culture-sensitive. Although you may mean no harm, the person could feel disrespected at the end of the day.
Guideline: How to Appreciate Your Teammates via Email
- It should definitely be an informal email. As we cautioned above, avoid displaying over familiarization.
- Give it an appropriate informal subject line. However, keep it short. For example: I Appreciate You or Big Thanks!
- Be honest in your email. Do not send it for formality sake.
- Keep it succinct and on point.
- Note the specific thing you wish to show gratitude for early in the email. But do not drag the matter.
- Send the email early in order not to lose the novelty of the moment.
- Check for typos and grammatical error. Though your teammates will easily forgive you for this, it is best to remain professional.
Sample Email 1: How to Appreciate Your Teammates via Email
Subject Line: Big Thanks!
Hi Chris,
This is to say a big thank you for helping out with the team report. I know you had to stay awake all through Thursday night to get it done. You did a great job! I and the other guys are grateful.
Have a pleasant evening.
Regards,
Susan
Sample Email 2: How to Appreciate Your Teammates via Email
Subject Line: Thanks a Lot
Hello Mark,
I just want to say a big thank you for covering my shift for me despite the short notice. My grandma is also saying thanks. She is grateful that I was able to take her quickly to the hospital that evening. Things are much better now.
I am really grateful.
Yours,
John