Saying Thanks

Well, we've survived another work week. Hooray! Happy Friday.

This week my company announced some really big, exciting news. And all my extra hours lately relate to it. It's been pretty demanding at times, but I'm glad I got to be involved with all that goes into selling a company. After the announcement was made and we sat through a few conference calls detailing extra information for the majority of the Company who was not involved at all, I got back to my desk to find this e-mail. It's from my CEO to about 20 non-executive people:

Well…that was easy, wasn’t it?  : )

While we don’t want to lose sight of the fact that we still have a few more hurdles to clear between signing and closing, I wanted to take a moment to say a heartfelt “thanks” to everyone on this list for helping us to reach this huge milestone in the process.  I can’t even begin to calculate how many hours have been put in by all of you to get us this far.   For some folks on this list, there was the need for some extra “above and beyond” time to lend a hand.  For others, the demands have been even more extreme.  Weekends.  Nights.  Weekend nights.  Time on the road away from families.  Conference calls that dragged on so long that we may as well have been on the road away from families. 

I know that the grind has been tough but each of you has played a critical role in “making history” --- you have made it possible for us to stand here today on the cusp of launching a NEW company that will instantly be known as a global market leader in the fin-tech space.  On behalf of the future [Company X] management team, I want to thank you for that.  The rest of the world will only see the end-result…you will know the hard work that went into making it all possible. 

Ultimately [Private Equity X] is buying a TEAM and not just a set of books.   Through your efforts thus far you have let our future private equity partners see what we all know already – that we have the best team in the business.

I'm not sharing this because I need more gold stars and pats on the back, I'm sharing it because people don't say Thank You often enough anymore. It's true. And if you want to keep your employees happy, sometimes this is all it takes. My boss and I looked at each other with the biggest grins on our faces, after I picked my jaw up off the floor. They noticed our hard work. This was one of the biggest issues when I worked in public accounting and everyone acknowledged it, but almost no one did anything.

I had one manager (one, of the many managers and partners...) who would send Thank you notes with $5 gift cards in them. It was the sweetest thing and it went a long way. Everyone needs a little recognition once and awhile to keep them going. It's nice to feel appreciated.

So keep this in mind. A simple Thank You can go a long way!

Enough preaching for this week, on to what else is going on over here this weekend:

1. Tonight I am heading to the suburbs to see a friends new home. I can't wait. A night in with girlfriends, drinks, and a woodstove (it is freezing in Boston!). 

2. Working tomorrow afternoon per usual. 

3. This weekend is the Boston Home Show and Red Tag Sale. I've talked J into going Sunday. Happy wife, happy life! I can't wait. I don't expect we'll buy anything since I'm sure designer furniture at up to 60% off is still above our price range, but it will be great to see what's being offered, get information on local builders, kitchen experts, etc, get ideas of what we want in our next place....And because it's in the Seaport district, I'm sure we'll grab some grub after at one of the many great restaurants.

4. My first StitchFix is scheduled to arrive on  Monday! Get ready for a review next week.

How about you, any fun weekend plans?

Have a great weekend!

xoxo, T