The power of saying "Thank You"

Last week my blog focused on the wonderful women who have helped me - and I was staggered by the response.

Former colleagues got in touch to echo the sentiments I had shared and to talk about the good times we had working together. But the clear message that came through was how important it had been to them that I took the time to say "Thank you."

They are just two little words, but said with sincerity it can mean so much. One former colleague said: "You'll never know how much it meant to me to be thanked for doing the job". But I do know how much it meant, because I was mirroring the behaviour of my first line manager in the NHS.

Coming from a role in a local authority where gratitude was in short supply I was taken aback the first time Linda said: "Thank you for what you've done today" as we got ready to leave the hospital one night. But it wasn't a one off. It was a rare day that didn't end with a thank you and there was often a hand written thank you card for a successful piece of work.

And Linda wasn't the only one in that organisation to say thank you. It was a style set by Moira, the Chief Executive, who always took the time to drop me a line if she was particularly impressed by something me or my team had delivered - and she did that for hundreds of staff each year.

As a result of feeling appreciated I stayed in that organisation 12 years instead of the five years I'd initially planned - so a little gratitude can go a long way.

I still have those cards and letters. They meant so much at the time and last year I found them again. My confidence had taken a knock after being made redundant, but those cards reminded me that I am good at what I do and while one organisation may not appreciate what I have to give, others would.

In many ways those thank you cards and letters were the catalyst of Sentry PR - so never underestimate the power of saying "Thank you."

Caroline Parnell runs Sentry PR - doing great work with great people. If you'd like to know more about how Sentry PR can help with your communication, marketing or engagement challenge call Caroline on 0780 7671728, email carpar@live.co.uk or check out the website www.sentrypr.co.uk