Culture

40 Simple Ways To Thank Your Staff This Thanksgiving

3 min read

Nov 19, 2021 5:20:00 AM

This year more than ever, we’re seeing exhaustion and burnout plague our staff members. That’s why this is the most important time for you to thank your team for their hard work and provide them with a bit of encouragement as we enter the holiday season. Healthy and motivated teams are created through intentional leadership.

That’s why we’ve put together 40 simple ways to offer thanks to the people you interact with most in your life - your team. Try a few out and tell us how it goes.

Deliver a hand-written thank you letter
Buy $5 Starbucks gift cards or send staff a few dollars over Venmo for coffee
Allow your team to take a few hours off that week to prepare for the holiday (or indulge in much-needed rest)
Go to the dollar store and buy each of your team members their favorite snack or drink (you can find staff favorites on your team member’s Care Card inside Leadr. Not a Leadr customer? Request a demo to see how features like the care card can benefit your team.)
Order in a meal for your staff one day this week
Point out a job well-done as you see it
Acknowledge an admirable trait about each of your staff members
Help out with random acts of kindness that are needed around the office
When you want to complain, share something you’re thankful for instead
Cook or bake a treat for the office
Allow your team to give back to the community through a food or clothing drive
Offer a team-wide Wellness Day to use before the end of the year
Take action - look for ways your team needs help that week, and jump in
Have a raffle for staff to win small prizes throughout the week
Announce end-of-year bonuses this week (these conversations are better to have 1:1)
Host a Thanksgiving potluck and end the day early
Bring in a massage therapist for the day to offer 15-min chair massages
Send a small gift home for spouses and/or children
Allow outdoor meetings all week - a little fresh air will be good for morale and creativity
Get the team together to share their favorite Thanksgiving traditions - you’ll be surprised how much you learn about one another!
Organize and announce a Secret Santa for the month of December as something to look forward to
Give team members a gift card to your local grocery store to buy a turkey or ham
Have a drawing for one leader to do something silly the day before break, such as wear a turkey costume all day, bob for apples, or have a pie in the face
Write people a recommendation on LinkedIn
Open up your calendar to offer 1:1 meetings to specifically discuss growth and development opportunities to refocus before break
Offer to buy each person a book that will help them reach a goal before the end of the year
Offer a kind gesture to one staff member once a day
Leave sticky notes on each person’s desk naming something you admire about them
Stock up the kitchen with festive snacks or drinks
Hand out company swag
Have a bring your kids/family to work day. With many students off the week of Thanksgiving, allow people to bring their home life to work
Hire an ice cream or snow cone truck to come for lunch
Hold contests throughout the week for prizes. Think trivia, games, or easy indoor activities
Make a point to smile at everyone all week
Bring in a carafe of coffee from a local shop
Ask people about their holiday plans and invite them to yours if they don’t have any
Offer to buy a Thanksgiving meal for a team member who has family members far away
Have a voluntary community project day to allow your team to serve together
Announce a holiday party for after Thanksgiving to give people something to look forward to
Just say “thank you.”