The Power of “Thank You”

As a self-admitted task oriented person, I know all too well how easy it is to check a task off the list and move on … without properly acknowledging the persons who made the work possible. This can be a culture cancer, even if it’s unintentional. Pastors (shepherd leaders) must keep an eye to the people we serve. The task never supercedes the relationships.

Generally, we would say to a team member, “Good job.” The thought behind this is to highlight a team menber’s effort. While there is nothing inherently bad about saying “Good job”, I would suggest there is a better statement to make. What if we took time to say “Thank you”?

“Thank you” allows us to convey appreciation for the effort, but it goes further to underscore the appreciation for the person. Thank you moves from rewarding behavior to expressing sincere gratitude. Team members want to do a good job. However, they are more likely to consistently give their best when they know they are appreciated as a person not just a task-achiever.