The Feeling of Gratitude
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I shared the below note with my staff shortly before Thanksgiving -- during what had been a particularly busy and stressful time for the agency. I have redacted the client names for privacy - but thought the sentiment was worth sharing.
And as a very important postscript, it is important to know the feedback I received from people sharing their gratitude was amazing. Truly one of the highlights of my career.
As always, I have removed proprietary information.
Here it is:
Happy Thanksgiving Colleagues!
In the last couple of days as I was reading my email I have been overcome by a feeling I must confess I haven’t been feeling much lately after reading email.
That feeling was gratitude. Yes gratitude.
Gratitude came over me in a big wave because my inbox was full of good news. And who among us doesn’t like to receive good news? I make it a habit to try and stop and really be aware when I have opportunities to experience that incredible emotion. And for the last couple of days grateful is the very best word to describe what I was feeling.
Why is the word grateful and not happy? Because, believe me, although happy is appropriate too, I know exactly why I am getting good news. Your ability to deliver good news to my Outlook inbox is not coming without effort. Significant effort. I know, see and feel the reality that as we work to finish the year strong, many of you are working really, really (really!) hard. And are more than likely exhausted.
And I am grateful -- there is that word again. Especially at Thanksgiving grateful trumps happy every time!
Here is what I’ve read about lately that reminded me to be grateful:
- We had a fantastic tissue session with the [XXX] prospects
- We sold a great new idea and a smart Olympics activation to [XXX].
- We turned a quick turn assignment [ed. note – ridiculously so] from our [XXX] client into super smart and strategic insight and ideas. Over the weekend!
- We had a strong pitch to [XXX's'] brand team
- We are rockin’ and rollin’ on an end of the year opportunity from [XXX] allowing us to do some great work and deliver profit in the critical year end period.
- And speaking of critical year end revenue, we’ve sold BOTH [XXX] and [XXX] on incremental opportunities
- We were front and center with our thought leadership at Social Media Week
- Our new business pipeline continues to fill up (and you simply won’t say U.N.C.L.E) and we now have four new opportunities to go and WIN!
So – I send this message to simply say thank you – to let you know that I am grateful for you.
And I send this Thanksgiving “On the Rocks” a little early because I want to encourage you to “Reply All” to this email (JUST THIS ONCE PLEASE) to ask you to participate in some “Gratitude Spamming.” I’m sure there is some good news I missed in my list above. As you think about your work here and your colleagues what are YOU grateful for?