This week, I have a lot to be grateful for, specifically because it marks three very important birthdays in my life. One year ago, on November 23rd, 2015, my daughter was born in Jerusalem, Israel. On November 24th, 33 years ago, my husband was born in Kingston, Jamaica. And on November 25th, 28 years ago, I was born in Indianapolis, Indiana.

And to top it all off, this week is Thanksgiving (and yes, I am still celebrating over here in Israel!). This week is pretty special, if I do say so myself.

With gratitude on my mind, I am making an extra effort to express thankfulness to those in my life this week, which got me thinking: Most of my work is done online and on the phone—what am I doing to express gratitude in these relationships?

This week, I’m working on implementing these five tips for showing gratitude and appreciation—will you join me?

  1. Be responsive. Responsiveness is one of the best ways to show your client, colleague, or friend that you are truly grateful for their communication. You don’t need to be available to respond the minute an email or call comes in, but you should do your best to respond within 24-48 hours. Responding in a timely manner shows to others that the relationship is valuable to you, and that you appreciate and recognize their efforts to establish and maintain the connection.
  2. Share resources and information generously. Do you have an e-book, list of best practices, or other online resource that others could benefit from? Can you make an introduction that could help someone in the professional life? Share the love! It may seem counterproductive to give away your knowledge or time, but by sharing generously with others, you are telling them that they are worth it to you.
  3. Thank people even when they are just doing their job. A friend was recently telling me how she always makes an effort to thank her mailman. Even though he is doing his job and getting paid, your mailman is still providing a service that is essential to you! Are there individuals that you work with or interact with online that are providing you with a service? How about the person who coordinates that Facebook group that you love so much (approving/moderating posts takes a long time!), or the editor of your favorite online publication? Taking time to think these individuals shows that you appreciate the work that they do, even though it’s part of their job!
  4. Rejoice in others’ wins. The internet is brimming with information, updates, exciting news, and everything else you could imagine, so sometimes it’s easy to skim over someone else’s win without much notice. By taking the time to acknowledge and rejoice in other’s wins, we show them that their contributions are important to us. For example, when you log into LinkedIn, job updates and other news pops up on your feed. Show these connections that you are happy and excited for them by taking a moment to congratulate them on their new jobs or promotions.
  5. Remember: people you know online are also people offline! I admit it, I am guilty of sometimes relegating online relationships to the category of “virtual” and calling it a day. I recently heard a story about how one of our clients appreciated a blogger in our Team Buzz Builder network so much for her support on his book launch that he sent her two dozen roses! That act surely made her feel cherished and appreciated, but it also inspired the rest of us to reflect about how we can be more authentic in our relationships and show more gratitude to our online communities.

I would like to send an extra special thank you to the Weaving Influence family—team members, clients, Lead Change Group members, Team Buzz Builder, Hometown Reads, and everyone else that contributes to our vibrant network. My relationships with and connection to all of you enriches my life as a stay-at-home mom in a dusty corner of Jerusalem in an indescribable way!

Tell me—how are you working on showing gratitude to your virtual connections?

 

Image credit: Waldo93