Dear all–

Thanksgiving in the USA comes on the last Thursday in the month of November.

And… it is soooo good to thank people around us for all that they do– every day, not just on national holidays of Thanksgiving, whether in the USA or other national days of gratitude.

So, I, Dr. Johnson am running today this blog about praising and thanks — especially for networking and building relationships.  It originally ran on November 12, 2014.

Make it giving generous praise and thanks a habit!

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An attitude of gratitude nourishes your network and relationships and helps it blossom in its growing.

Think about all the people who support you personally and professionally. Praise is the act of giving positive and sincere feedback and support to those people.

You can’t just tell people once that you appreciate them.  Appreciation and caring must be expressed in a sincere, consistent manner.

There are two main ways to  regularly acknowledge people in your network:

1. By speaking to them either in person or on the telephone
2. By sending them notes

Here are some tips on speaking words of praise and verbal acknowledgment:

1. Let people know immediately that you notice and appreciate what they are doing. So at the end of phone conversations, thank people for their call, time and feedback.
2. At the end of meetings, take the last few moments as a time for acknowledgments, when anyone can verbally express appreciation to anyone else in the meeting.
3. Give acknowledgments directly by looking people in the eye. Make sure you get their attention.  Don’t mumble or act as if your comment is unimportant.  Say it with a strong voice and with sincerity.

“Sue, I appreciate the way you…”

4. Be specific. When you make a general acknowledgment, some people may say, “She says this to everyone.”   Instead, be direct about what you appreciate in the other person.  This personal approach communicates sincerity and warmth and is more likely to catch their attention.

“Mike, I noticed how you responded to that client. I sure liked the way you listened and tried to take care of her concern so that she felt taken care of.”

5. Acknowledge people for what they do AND for the characteristics and qualities they show. Give positive feedback about their values, strengths, and abilities, as well as the way they are using those strengths and skills to get things done.

“Congratulations on your new venture.  I admire your courage to go forth on your own.”

“Thanks for referring Maria to me.  We had a great conversation right away and I look forward to working with her firm.  I sure appreciate having you as a powerful resource in my life.”

“Thanks for your hospitality. I so enjoyed my visit. You are such a gracious host.”

 The second way to express thanks and gratitude is via notes.

Be sure to watch our English Speech Tips videos and Accent Reduction Tip videos  for more English pronunciation and accent reduction exercise.

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