Attaboy

For some strange reason, I hear many people talk about how it is harder to thank someone for their contributions when they work from home. Likewise, the at-home people say the same things about their in-office counterparts. I tend to think it's pretty easy to say "Thank you", but let's address the topic anyway!

Let's start with the easiest method: Call, email, or Instant Message. These are avenues you should be comfortable with and have at your disposal. The key to this forum is that your thanks be timely and personalized. Instead of "Thank You", consider something more like "Thanks, Joe. This {new feature} will save us 2 hours a week. Much appreciated!" This makes the thanks more specific to the action that was performed and not a generic rubber stamp. If the thanks is related to something really over-the-top, considering carbon copying the coworker's leaders or team so that others can recognize the difference this person made for you.

Additionally, many companies now have internal social media sites. Feel free to give a shout out on these electronic means so that other people interested in topic can tag on, and start a snowball of positive feedback! Use @ and # tags appropriately to get the message to the right people and find it again later.

Where this gets more interesting is when it relates to swag and physical forms of thanks. Maybe you might take someone to lunch, grab a coffee together, buy them a soda, or put a gag gift on their desk. Hard to do that when they are hundreds of miles away! Hard maybe, but not impossible. Here are some suggestions in the $3-10 range:

• Tell someone they rock, by buying them a $3 e-gift card to a music venue (such as iTunes or Amazon)
• Share that cup o' joe by sending them an e-gift card for a local latte lounge (such as Starbucks). Don't skip on the coffee talk though! Get on an a video chat and share your coffee together.
• Show someone how sweet you think they are by sending a cookie gram (such as the $5 cookie cards from Cheryl's) 
• Is it your lucky day because they helped you out so much? Make it theirs and mail them some lotto scratchers. 
• Make a donation to a charity in their name. Even $5-10 telling them that you are paying their kindness forward. Charities can use every penny! (Red Cross, American Cancer Society, or a favorite local charity, for example)
• Personalize a bottle of Coke during the Share a Coke campaign. Even if they never drink it, it will be a fun keepsake. We all know how hard it can be to find your name!
• Send an old fashioned card. A hand-written note really shows your appreciations. See my previous blog post on cards... e-Cards work too when you are short on time or do not have a mailing address. 

Basically, all you need is their email address or home address, and the possibilities are endless. Most cost the same that you would spend in the office. You may perceive it to cost more because it took more effort, but that effort will be totally worth it.

The key to thanking anyone, in-office or at-home, is your sincerity. If you are truly thankful and express your sentiments from the heart, the recipient will feel that and know they made a difference. 

Thank you for reading my blog today. :-)