Exercise your Gratitude Muscle this Labor Day

Labor Day is the perfect time to exercise your gratitude muscle.

This past Saturday, I visited a large retail establishment to purchase a graphing calculator. The store was bustling with shoppers. Indeed, it was one of the largest crowds I’ve ever observed there. Even the customer service representative who assisted me commented about how busy she was helping customers.

Anyway, my Saturday visit got me thinking about something.

Many of us celebrate our three-day Labor Day weekend by spending time off with family and friends. Maybe we enjoy a few “cold ones” while grilling hamburgers and hotdogs. Maybe we play golf or go boating to honor the last days of summer. Or maybe we watch college football while eating our favorite homemade appetizers and “finger food.”

But that’s not the case for many customer service representatives, who spend the majority of their Labor Day weekend actually working to assist customers.

And isn’t that a striking irony of Labor Day weekend? Many people — such as law enforcement officers, first responders, and nurses — are actually required to work. But let’s not forget about another group of “unsung heroes” who are typically required to work during Labor Day weekend: customer service representatives.

Tim Sanders — a leadership guru and exemplary author — suggests that we regularly exercise our gratitude muscle.  Indeed, exercising our gratitude muscle is one of the central themes of his best-selling book, Today we Are Rich.

And that’s the purpose of this email: If you’re a current, future, or aspiring leader in your business or organization, please take a moment to exercise your gratitude muscle to genuinely thank your direct reports, team members, or colleagues for actually working during their Labor Day weekend to help customers.

Need some ideas in regards how to exercise your gratitude muscle? Here’s three suggestions about what you can do this Tuesday morning.

  • Dedicate time to walk around the office to spend a few moments with each team member to personally and genuinely thank him or her for working during the Labor Day weekend. While you’re at it, attempt to learn something new about each team member.
  • Devote time to write a customized thank-you note to each team member who sacrificed his or her Labor Day weekend actually working to assist your organization’s customers. Indeed, never underestimate the power of a handwritten thank-you note.
  • Award each team member with a “Take an Hour Off Work” card that he or she can redeem. But wait! Who will cover his or her shift? You! What’s more powerful than saying, “You know what? Take an hour off from work. I’ve got you covered!”

By exercising your gratitude muscle, you’ll not only feel better about yourself, but you’ll also inspire your team members and colleagues to provide even better customer service.

Have a “customerific” week!

Mark

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