In many respects, your boss performs a thankless job. They might get compensated well and have some extra freedoms that you don’t have as an employee, but it’s still pretty thankless. While you have coworkers and superiors around to pat you on the back when you do something well, your boss rarely gets the same kind of praise.
Even Bosses Need Appreciation
We all love to be appreciated, so why should your boss be any different? According to a recent study conducted at the University of Central Florida, feeling appreciated by another person – even an employee or subordinate – leads to positive emotions and energy.
“Our study also found that feeling appreciated by employees was positively related, via energy, to supervisors’ psychological well-being,” the study’s lead researcher Maureen Ambrose says. “Psychological well-being can buffer individuals from the negative effects of job stress.”
Interestingly, the study found that on days supervisors feel more appreciated, their increased energy translates into greater optimism and higher levels of job and life satisfaction. It also leads to greater productivity and superior treatment of employees. This has a cyclical effect of reducing turnover, lowering absenteeism, and making employees happier. It’s basically a self-feeding cycle.
4 Tips for Showing Your Appreciation
Not sure where to begin with showing your appreciation for your boss? It’s a lot simpler than you might think.
1. Show Gratitude
Gratitude is one of the best forms of appreciation. Show your boss how thankful you are to have your job position, work for the company, or have access to particular benefits and advantages as part of the company.
A good boss takes pride in the fact that they provide job opportunities and financial support for families. When they see people who are grateful for the resources they’ve been provided, it makes their hearts sing.
2. Recognize Their Accomplishments
Some bosses are fond of physical tokens of appreciation. If this is something your boss likes, consider some sort of plaque or award.
“When you want a gift that’s unique, heartfelt and long-lasting, choose a beautiful personalized plaque for National Boss’s Day,” DIY Awards suggests. “Whatever kind of boss you’re hoping to thank, a beautifully-made gift engraved with a heartfelt message could never go wrong.”
When engraving a plaque, keep it simple and memorable. List some of their biggest accomplishments and let them know the company recognizes their hard work and dedication. Whenever your boss looks at the plaque, it’ll serve as a physical reminder that they’re doing meaningful work.
3. Give Out Compliments
If you’re like most of your coworkers, you’re hesitant to give out a compliment because you don’t want to come across as a “suck-up” or “teacher’s pet.” And, if we’re being honest, even a genuine compliment can come across this way.
Entrepreneur Sara McCord warns people to only give out a compliment to a boss when it’s totally sincere. Saying you liked something when you really didn’t robs you of the power that comes from dishing out an actual compliment later on.
“The trick here is to get specific,” McCord says. “So, if she helps you compose a tricky email, say, ‘Thanks so much for your advice on what to write back to Jane. I can definitely see how the line about what an additional week would allow us to accomplish would instill confidence that everything is on track.’”
Do you see how adding specific details shows your sincerity?
4. Go Above and Beyond
Sometimes the best way to show your appreciation is through your actions. And nothing communicates appreciation for your boss more than going above and beyond the call of duty.
The company you work for is basically your boss’ baby. He’s worked incredibly hard to build the company and has literally put blood, sweat, and tears into creating it. If you want to show your appreciation, do things that aren’t even asked of you – just because. (As an added benefit, this makes you look like an all-star employee and increases your chances of getting a promotion or raise down the road.)
Recognize Your Boss
While your boss should absolutely be showing their appreciation for you, it goes both ways. The mark of a healthy workplace culture is mutual appreciation and encouragement. When everyone is offering admiration and support, it makes everyone’s life a whole lot easier.
