10/21/2019 0 Comments Leadership Tip #1: Handwritten LettersMy first tip in my leadership series comes from both personal and instructed experiences. The best part is that it is something simple, and in today's society of email and social media, it goes much further. Taking a few extra minutes and a few extra bucks may just show how much you care and value your employees, and in return, they are more likely to go that extra mile.
This idea was first floated by me while getting my Master's in Educational Administration from SUNY Albany. Our guest speaker, who was a school principle, shared a story about when he wrote some letters home to the parents of some of his teachers. Yes, 30, 40, and 50 some year olds, with parents ranging from the ages of 60-80. He shared the value that each son or daughter (the teachers) brought to the organization and the children they instructed. Even at the age of 80, parents still would go show friends and family and brag about the good their child was doing. Of course, this information circled back to the child. Imagine, you are 50 years old and your 80-year-old mother calls to tell you congratulations for being a good teacher and that they are so proud of you...powerful! Now, this teacher is motivated for being recognized for the great work they have done, and they are smitten about the relationship and conversation they had with their parent. I decided to take a similar approach while deployed to Iraq. I pulled the next of kin information and hand wrote a short letter home to the love one of each of the 39 people I helped lead in our unit. See, often while deployed, you do not share what you really do and you usually do not brag. "Oh, you know, just another day, nothing major." So I shared the greatness that each individual did for the organization. And yes, it circled back around. Some thought I was doing it for punishment, haha, but most were happy that I shared the information. When we returned from deployment, I even got some thank yous from the parents and spouses for sharing such wonderful information. Everyone was proud of their spouse, son or daughter for serving and they bragged about it! Finally, you can tie this all into business if you want to talk dollars and cents. How, just ask Chewy. I moved to small town and didn't have the dog food options I wanted anymore, so I began purchasing from Chewy. It basically was a necessity. However, as the first Christmas rolled around, my wife and I received a handwritten letter from Chewy. Now it claimed to be from the founders, which I believe to be unlikely, but someone took the time to write it. It thanked us for using them and asked to continue to provide feedback before wishing us happy holidays. That one or so minute it took to hand write that card, just ensured customer loyalty. So this is my tip to consider. Do something for your employees. Do not just send an email, as we are numb to those, but show you care with a handwritten letter to them or their families. This will show you care, you know what they have done for the organization and that you know who they are and their family outside of work. If you invest in the time in doing this, I can guarantee it will go a long way!
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