Independent Banker - December 2022 - 20

PORTFOLIO LEADERSHIP AT ALL LEVELS
The fine art of saying " thank you "
By Lindsay LaNore, ICBA
the best restaurants, including his.
Between courses, however, they
expressed regret that they were
about to head for the airport and
hadn't tried a simple New York City
hot dog. He ran out to get them
one on the spot. It cost him $2,
but the experience delighted his
customers and highlighted to him
how important it was to make people
feel seen.
Guidara suggests to leaders in all
industries that they slow down, be
present, listen to the people around
them and give them a sense of
belonging. Treating everyone as an
individual is paramount, and that
means choosing gifts or experiences
that are unique to them.
Great ways of showing
t's the end of the year, a time for
leaders to refl ect on goals, metrics
and performance over the past 12
months. It's a time to set goals and a
vision for the year ahead. And it's also
a perfect time to say, " thank you, " and
share your appreciation for all the
hard work and successes of the year
gone by.
A lot has been written recently
about the power of gratitude, with
studies showing that appreciation is
not only great for team morale; it also
gives a boost to the person expressing
it. The greatest thing about saying
" thank you " is that it's easy. It's a very
eff ective way of making your team
feel appreciated and happy in their
roles. And, while this shouldn't be
the sole motivating factor, employees
I
who feel appreciated are willing to
work harder.
In the workplace, saying " thank
you " can take all kinds of forms. It
can be an email from the CEO to all
staff , or from a department leader to
their team. It might come in the form
of a letter or note, a special lunch, a
party, a call-out at a team meeting or
a small gift. There is no need to be
extravagant, but it should come from
the heart.
Will Guidara, restaurateur and
author of Unreasonable Hospitality:
The Remarkable Power of Giving
People More Than They Expect, is
passionate about the power of putting
people fi rst. In a recent TED Talk, he
told the story of four foodies who were
on vacation in New York sampling
appreciation include celebrating
specifi c achievements or actions
and highlighting ways in which
employees exemplify the bank's
values. Recognize hard work with
a small thank-you gift or even a
handwritten note, but make sure
it's tailored to suit the recipient,
whether it's a box of chocolates you
know they have a weakness for, a gift
card to a favorite restaurant that's a
little out of reach fi nancially, or a few
extra hours off to watch their child's
holiday performance.
Saying thank you may be easy, but
doing it well is an art. 
Lindsay LaNore (lindsay.lanore@
icba.org) is ICBA's group executive
vice president and chief learning
and experience off icer
20 Q ICBA Independent Banker Q December 2022
Photo by goir/Adobe
Independent Banker - December 2022

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