What do you do when an email exchange has run its course, and the task is finished? Do you send a ‘thanks’ email? What else could you do?
Common Scenario
I’m sure this scenario sounds familiar.
- I receive an email with a draft contract, asking me to review and sign it.
- I do so and send it back, asking for an estimated turnaround time.
- I receive a note that it will be around two weeks for it to be counter signed.
- I reply that I’m okay with that timeline.
- And within two weeks, I indeed receive an executed contract.
Now what?
We’ve both simply been doing our jobs, and now the task is complete. Is this when I save her from ‘one more email’ that just says “thanks”? If I had been at a store, I might save thanks to the cashier as I head to the door.
But this is someone I’m presumably building a working relationship with.
Relationship needs vs. task needs
Ah, relationship! If I focus on what the relationship needs versus what the task needs, that might guide me. And indeed it caused me to consider if I could use the last email as a recognition moment. It wouldn’t be a ‘thank you’ email, it would be a ‘thank you for’ email.
Then all kinds of ideas flooded in. Thank you for managing my expectations. Thank you for coordinating the whole process smoothly. Thank you for your patience as I sought advice on the exhibits. Thank you for being accessible for questions.
It was a good challenge for me in discerning strengths, and then in showing appreciation and celebration of something specific.
Recognition doesn’t always have to be big
We all generally know that recognition is impactful, but it’s also good to remember that it doesn’t have to be a big award, or a certificate, or related to an amazing accomplishment. It can be pretty simple, and still really impactful to both parties.
Exercise for your Recognition muscle
So here’s an exercise to strengthen your recognition muscle:
- All this week, pay attention when you’re sending emails.
- When you see yourself signing an email with ‘thank you’, consider if it is an opportunity for recognition.
- Hopefully at least once a day, you decide that it is.
- Extend it to ‘thank you for…’ and see what comes to mind as a strength, an action, or a consideration that you truly appreciated.
- For sharing their time
- Offering fresh ideas
- Addressing all of your concerns
- After you send it, reflect on how easy or hard it was to come up with something, and observe how you feel.
- At the end of the week, consider the range of recognition that you were able to give.
