Mike 
I recently received an email suggesting that I should be thankful. That’s no surprise given the season. But the company sending the email wants me to be thankful for the money that I’ll save on my next purchase with the coupon they sent. In other words, once I buy their product at the reduced price, I will be thankful. And that sums up an ongoing problem in our society. It seems virtually impossible to be simply thankful.
As a leader, is it difficult for you to be genuinely and unconditionally thankful? I’m not saying that you’re not appreciative. But consider whether you fall into one of these three less-than-grateful traps:
- Superficial appreciation. You routinely thank others in your church or ministry for their work with phrases like “good job” or “thanks for all that you do.” But you never give any specifics about what you appreciate, so the words seem superficial, causing them to wonder if you really noticed.
- Thanks, but … Everyone knows that your expression of gratitude will immediately be followed with a “but.” The “thanks” is forgotten as you offer suggestions for how the job could have been done better. Your complement seems to be an insincere warm-up for the real, critical message.
- Barely a pause. You are genuinely grateful, and it shows in your words. However, your drive to do more means that you quickly shift from appreciation to focusing on the next challenge, leaving others to wonder if they will ever have a chance to celebrate and catch their breath.
