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The Ivey Career Management Podcast shares practical career advice, alumni insights, and expert perspectives to help Ivey students and graduates navigate their careers with confidence.
[Auto-generated transcript. Edits may have been applied for clarity.]
Welcome to the Career Management Podcast at Ivy Business School.
I'm Kate. My pronouns are they them. On today's mini episode, we're discussing the importance of saying thank you.
It might seem obvious, but why do we thank others? We thank others because we appreciate their time and expertise.
Being able to convey your appreciation of others is a professional communication skill and it makes you feel good.
A 2023 meta analysis of 25 gratitude studies showed that showing appreciation consistently boosts your sense of well-being,
while also making the other person feel good that their efforts were recognized.
Beyond appreciation. Just feeling good.
It helps build relationships at the individual level and builds a culture where people feel valued at the group level.
Here are some top tips for appreciation. Number one.
Be authentic and be intentional with your words.
You do not have to use the words thank you. How we communicate is based on a number of cultural, social, and linguistic factors.
Number two, assume that the exchange will go well.
In a 2018 study at the University of Chicago,
researchers found that MBA students giving thanks underestimated how good the receiver would feel and overestimated feelings of awkwardness.
Number three, you don't need to spend money while a card or going to lunch can be a nice touch.
A well-crafted email or a phone call can be just as valuable.
Number four consider power dynamics and conflicts of interest.
Think about the context of your relationship and how the exchange might appear
to an outside observer who knows nothing about you or their relationship.
I say this because if a token of thanks seems disproportional, inauthentic,
or implying that you expect the receiver to return a favor, then that token of thanks can have a negative impact.
No matter what your intentions were. Saying thank you is optional.
You do not have to do it, but good leaders know how to notice and value others in an authentic way.
You might be wondering who can help me. Peers and colleagues ask them about appreciation that they've received and what they liked about it.
Self-reflect on your mentors and supervisors. What kind of appreciation did they give that felt good to you?
Generative AI can also help you brainstorm ideas and get a draft started.
I'll end today's episode by thanking my colleagues, Maggie Weller and Ken Meadows,
for taking time out of their busy schedules to share examples and encouragement with me.
And thank you for listening or watching. If you're interested in connecting with career management,
you can book a one on one appointment by visiting the 1220 appointments tab online or by visiting our space at room two,
235 in the Ivy Building at Western University.
Take good care.