Look for the Gifts

For business leaders, most days are spent looking for problems to solve or ways to make our companies grow faster and be more profitable. It’s easy to overlook the need to appreciate the gifts and talents our teams bring every day to make a company successful. During “the most wonderful time of year,” look for the gifts in your teams, employees and coworkers.

SEE THE GIFTS
It all starts with being alert and looking for the gifts and unique talents and skills they bring to the team. Observe employees who:

• Care enough to take extra time to solve a customer’s problem
• Volunteer suggestions on how to make a process better
• Help a co-worker who is struggling
• Come to work early or stay late without being asked
• Do extra research to find a new solution

ACKNOWLEDGE THE GIFTS
Most companies have programs for recognizing and rewarding excellence. Programs have their place in recognizing achievements, but tend to ignore the everyday behaviors that go unnoticed. These gifts are the building blocks of a resilient thank-you culture. If you acknowledge them, others will model your actions.

GIVE THE GIFT
Make a holiday resolution to “see” three gifts in others and give an authentic, spontaneous thank you every day. Eventually, you will train yourself to see and verbally recognize these qualities on a daily basis. The goal is to have the spirit of “the most wonderful time of year” resonate all year long.

Executive Aura is a boutique-consulting firm in Nashville, TN that provides business strategy, leadership development, and culture solutions that engage employees. We work with CEOs, senior management and emerging leaders to Think, Lead and Act like a CEO. Our services include: executive coaching & advising, employee engagement, culture and communications audits, leadership development and keynote speeches. Our services are customized, providing unique solutions for our clients.