5 Tips for Writing Meaningful Thank-You Notes

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5 Tips for Writing Meaningful Thank-You Notes

By Sally Susman | Harvard Business Review | August 08, 2024

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According to the writer, when she received a new bicycle from her grandparents as a kid, her mother wouldn’t let her out of the house to take it for a spin before she sat down and wrote them a thank-you note. She remembered grumbling over this at the time, but thank-you notes have since become her passion.

This is a smart leadership approach. Showing appreciation and recognition to those who deserve it works to engender enthusiasm, hard work, and loyalty. When you look at lists of companies with the lowest turnover rates, “positive environment” is one of the key reasons people stay — right up there with pay and benefits. No better way to create a positive environment than showing your gratitude.  So how do you do it well? There are five principles the author has learned about effective thank-you notes.

1. Take time to reflect.  In matters of the heart, speed is rarely a virtue. Before you put pen to paper (or thumbs to text), think about what you want the recipient to know, what sentiment you want to linger, and how you hope they will feel after reading it. It can be hard to find that time in a busy schedule, so it can help to regularly set aside a few minutes or an hour.
2. Thank those who are often forgotten.  Take the time to express your gratitude to those who may feel taken for granted. That could be writing notes to the workers in your manufacturing plant, the security guard in your lobby, or a child who left a piece of her artwork on your desk.
3. Be specific.  The best notes are detailed. Don’t just dash off a thank-you note for dinner; extol the details and include something that influenced you.  It should be more than writing thank-you notes, it’s acknowledging success and things well done. Do it in a way that is very personal to you and very personal to the person you are writing to. Make sure it doesn’t sound canned. Make sure it comes from the heart.
4. Make it matter.  When any expression of thanks has impact, it has done more than express gratitude — it educates and clarifies, illuminates or incites passion. Offer something of value, an insight, or a piece of information.
5. It’s never too late.  Even if the gift came six months ago or longer, it’s better to write the note than not. Apologize for being tardy, move on without further excuse, and express your feelings. The recipient will appreciate it and forgive your lateness on the spot. That’s even more true if the gift isn’t a tangible one: It can take years to fully realize the impact of a person on your life. Don’t let this stop you from expressing your gratitude. Make it part of your routine to consider if there is anyone to whom you owe a thank-you letter.

3 key takeaways from the article

1. According to the writer, when she received a new bicycle from her grandparents as a kid, her mother wouldn’t let her out of the house to take it for a spin before she sat down and wrote them a thank-you note. She remembered grumbling over this at the time, but thank-you notes have since become her passion.
2. Showing appreciation and recognition to those who deserve it works to engender enthusiasm, hard work, and loyalty. When you look at lists of companies with the lowest turnover rates, “positive environment” is one of the key reasons people stay.  
3. No better way to create a positive environment than showing your gratitude.  Five principles about effective thank-you notes:  take time to reflect, thank those who are often forgotten, be specific, make it matter, and it’s never too late.

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Topics:  Gratitude, Leadership, Personal Development, Thank you notes