Thankyous can act as a kind of social lubricant and positive enabler in the workplace. They cost little and can make everyone happier and nicer. If you are a boss, they can make your team more engaged and productive. But the etiquette around them can be a little tricky. So, what makes a good “thank you”, how do you offer one, and how do you receive one?
Why say thank you?
It’s a really good habit to get into. Work is often seen as transactional, and this means people complain if they don’t get what they want and say nothing if they do get what they want. This is neither pleasant nor motivating. So, if you generally don’t say thank you, give saying it a try. Thankyous are incredibly easy and make the working world a better place. But they’re also a form of enlightened self-interest. Gratitude builds better relationships with people and makes them remember you well.
If you’re a boss
Thanking staff is a form of positive feedback. So if you manage a team, you should thank them if they perform well or go the extra mile. Saying thank you is part of creating a culture where good work is recognised. This applies no matter what level you are at. If you’re high up in the company, thanking those on the shop floor can be very powerful. It really shows that you care about people, know what is going on with staff, and appreciate their efforts.
How do I do it?
Optimally, do it face to face. Get the thankyou in early — ideally in the first sentence. This makes it clear what you’re doing. Then move on to why you’re thanking the person. If it’s a complicated piece of work, you may need to put some thought into this. An ideal thankyou might be something like, “Rashmi, thank you so much for the work you’ve done on identifying efficiencies. You’ve saved us thousands, and that means we’ll be able to hire another team member,” or “Mike, thank you for your contribution to this project. It wouldn’t have succeeded without you.” Essentially, you’re expressing appreciation, explaining why, and identifying the positive effects of the person’s actions.
Are there limits?
Of course. Effusively thanking people for everything they do devalues the currency of thanks. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t thank people for little things, but a simple thankyou is enough in such cases. Keep it brief and resist the urge to gush. Save your big thankyous for when people have really gone above and beyond what is expected of them.
What shouldn’t I do?
You need to mean it. Half-hearted or insincere thanks are worse than no thanks at all. With the former, you need to thank people properly and when there’s a reason to do so. The latter can be more of a problem if subsequent actions serve to undermine the thanks. For example, if you make a big show of thanking your team for their amazing hard work and then, a week later, make three of them redundant, it will leave a nasty taste. Better not to thank them at all.
Should I thank different people differently?
To an extent. You should try and give equal thanks for equal contributions. But you might tailor your approach to the individual. For example, if someone is shy and doesn’t like attention, you might thank them quietly in a one to one. Conversely, if you know someone loves the limelight, you might thank them in the middle of the office, so that others can see they’ve done well, too. It’s worth bearing in mind here that people often do not need the same level of recognition (and some barely need it at all). Nonetheless, it is better to err or the side of thanking all equally.
Should I thank my boss and peers?
Absolutely. Bosses often feel very unappreciated because they get nothing in the way of thanks from those they manage. The rules are much the same. Explain why you’re thanking them and the positive effect of their actions. Obviously, you don’t want to go over the top (or do it all the time), but a bit of judicious boss thanking will likely make them very happy. It may also encourage them to show more of the behaviours that you appreciate. Thanking peers can require a different approach. You don’t want to come across as patronising. And you need to think about the person and the sort of thanks they will appreciate (as much as the sort of thanks you want to give).
How should I respond to a thank you?
Small thankyous are easy. Just smile and acknowledge the thanks. With a big thankyou, smile, look at the person, and say that you appreciate it. If it’s a really huge thankyou, you might say, “That means a lot to me”. If it’s thanks for a piece of work that involved others, you should share. Say, “I really appreciate it, but I couldn’t have done it without the team — please thank them, too.”
Is email thanks OK?
Oddly, yes. Email thanks (and even WhatsApp thanks) can work really well. They’re not appropriate for everything, but it can often be impractical to thank people face to face. If, say, a client takes you out for lunch or someone really supports you in a meeting, it’s a great idea to drop them an email. It’s almost always appreciated and involves very little effort on your part. The return on investment is amazing.
— Rhymer Rigby is a business writer and columnist. To comment on this article or to suggest an idea for another article, contact Oliver Rowe at Oliver.Rowe@aicpa-cima.com.
LEARNING RESOURCES
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COURSE
Thanks for the Feedback — Lessons in Giving and Receiving Feedback
This session will cover the three types of feedback, the barriers to receiving good feedback, and how we can be empowered to seek feedback for our own growth.
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Articles
“Pressure Point: Skills, Staffing Gaps Drain Strained Employees”, FM magazine, 24 April 2025
“Who Cares? Companies That Care Are Better Positioned With Talent”, Journal of Accountancy, 13 January 2025
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“Mind the Gap: Two Key Steps for Connection, Team Development”, FM magazine, 19 February 2025
