Expressing gratitude is a small gesture with a big meaning. This action is memorable and benefits both parties. Acknowledging the contribution one person has made to another’s success is a microaffirmation with a big impact.
Sending thank you messages
Expressing gratitude for taking the time to give advice or a recommendation is an important but underrated action. Most people prefer to receive a text or email with a short “thank you” instead of sending a thank you card. In addition to being faster and more comfortable, this way nature is spared.
In mentoring relationships
Steve Dalton, author of The 2-Hour Job Search, shares the good and bad practices of mentoring couples.
Mentors who received feedback from their mentees that their advice was useful and helped to develop a given situation was highly valued in the relationship in the mentoring pair. Those who received thanks and were convinced that with their time and advice they contributed to the success of their mentors were the most satisfied.
Those mentees who asked for feedback but never received it had a bad experience. Mentors who suddenly lost contact and stopped responding to emails and messages also contributed to the unpleasant experience of communication. It is just as bad when mentors give advice about a specific situation, but mentees do not implement it or do not share about the development of events.
Not a one-time gesture
To maintain a relationship with the person who gave good advice or a recommendation, a good approach is to send a short email every 4 to 6 weeks thanking them for the specific advice. The recipient will then be pleased to hear what impact it had on the person and how it helped her/him. Last but not least, to keep the dialogue open, it is good if the mentee asks for more advice and after a few weeks the cycle repeats itself.
