We previously established that your success rests on the shoulders of all who have lifted you up through your journey. This includes all who assisted you, taught you, mentored you, the person who told you how to navigate the corporate bureaucracy, told who you needed to know, who introduced you to who you needed to know. You get the idea. People like this exist throughout your career. The names and faces change, but without them you do not go as far or experience as much success.
Remember to thank these people. Maybe you did. Maybe you didn’t. Maybe you did sometimes. It never is too late. Never. Most people are not helping you seeking your thanks and appreciation. But showing appreciation is abut you and who you are. Make sure those who were there for you know how you feel, that you appreciate what they have done for you. I know one woman who still thanks a mentor from years and years ago in writing once a year and every time they speak. That is how its done!
It is up to you to choose how to show appreciation. Know your audience. Some people will appreciate a handwritten note or letter. Others will appreciate a text or email, though these really are too informal for the types of people and assistance I am talking about. I think you should err on the side of caution and make your thanks take a form more formal than you think it needs to be. You can never go wrong when you do so.
Sometimes you will want to include a gift. If you think you might need to, you need to. Make it something thoughtful. A book you like (and think the person will too). A bottle of wine. Flowers. If you are not sure, ask someone who knows the person’s interests. If you don’t know someone who does, again err on the side of caution and use what you know about them to make the best choice you can. But try not to over do it. It is not about the cost, but the thought.
The one thing you don’t want to do is forgot to thank those you should. When you do, they will remember. They will mention it to others, which in turn will enhance your reputation as one who cares and appreciates others, thereby continuing to lift you higher on their shoulders. And while you are being lifted on their shoulders, they are being lifted by those who have helped them, completing the circle that results in a pyramid of people lifting each other up continuously through time. This kind of appreciation and courtesy is what helps make your world the type of environment in which you want to live.
