A sincere thank you can brighten a day; improve a mood; inspire a project; reinforce a decision; make someone smile. The benefits are endless; the costs, nil. With Thanksgiving Day quickly approaching, our thoughts naturally turn to gratitude; however, we shouldn't "save up" our appreciation for only one day, and should strive to seek ways to express thanks regularly. In the workplace, studies and anecdotal evidence have shown gratitude to be an important (and profitable) business strategy – at little to no cost! The positives – in both attitude and balance sheet – of the power of "thanks" can be long-lasting.

There are no hard and fast rules in how to thank your employees, co-workers, customers, and vendors. When you are sincere, specific, and timely in your appreciation, you will make an impact. Don't qualify the thank you with a negative comment, or use sarcasm. These are quick ways of invalidating the thanks, and can harm the relationship.

Always remember, even when we receive negative feedback from, for example, a customer, we should be appreciative. This valuable information can help your business if you take the time to really listen to the message!

In this Seinfeld episode, Jerry complains about "overthanking" and Kremer reminds him that good manners are the glue of society. Thank you, reader, for spending some time to read this blog post. We would love to hear your opinions on expressing gratitude in the workplace!