The end of a year is often about reflection, learning and gratitude.
There are typically celebrations, office Christmas parties and maybe holiday gifts that get exchanged.
This year is of course different – celebrations as usual are largely not possible.
But there is still so much we can do to wrap up the year with an attitude of gratitude and pride for all the people we work with and who have made a difference to our year.
Here are 5 ways to show those you work with how proud you are of them.
1. Be interested
Take regular interest in what others do and give specific feedback. Rather than just saying “you did a great job”, highlight the specifics of the action/behaviour and what that led to including what the impact on others was.
2. Express gratitude
Say thank you and explain what their action/behaviour meant to you personally and how it made your situation better/easier. Tell them how it made you and others feel.
3. Turn up the volume on you seeing the strengths in others
Recognise each person’s talents and strengths, and how they are unique to that person. No one can be best at everything and everyone is best at something. Look for those strengths in people and draw out more of them. A Gallup study of 70.000 leaders showed that the most successful leaders were those who could see what each person was best at and then focus more on that than any ‘weaknesses’.
4. Let others shine
Take a step back and let others shine. Let the world know what your team and/or specific contributors have worked on and achieved.
Share success stories with your peers, your boss or other key stakeholders.
Seek out people you wouldn’t normally think of too, so look to a broader stakeholder group and see out how you can make them shine. In fact, make it a goal or a focus to make someone else shine.
5. Express pride
Find something to be proud about and say it. “I am so proud…” is such a powerful and positively emotive sentence. Just imagine how it makes people feel. Maybe remember when someone expressed their pride for you. Pride is often felt, but not always expressed. Don’t hold back – share it.
Why all this matter so much
And when people feel seen, heard and appreciated there are no limits to what they can achieve. It’s a massive win-win. Pride breeds pride. Make pride contagious.
