Thanks…Thanks for everything…Thanks so much for all you’ve done. Great job. Blah, blah, blah…”
Have you ever said that to someone, or had it said to you? It can feel superficial and hollow, don’t you think? For people on the “receiving end” it can even be somewhat insulting – “like…really…the person thanking me doesn’t have a clue what I’ve done or how much effort it took to make it happen.” For people trying to express gratitude, they often wish they could really say something that would be more meaningful and less generic (“blah”).
So how do you express meaningful gratefulness…the kind that doesn’t backfire? Bonuses?…gift cards?…pay raises? While these aren’t bad ideas, they’re mostly over-rated and are no substitute for the power of a heartfelt “THANK YOU.” One of my great mentors, Fred Bolivar (one of the best facilitators I know), gave leaders the following simple and easy-to-remember guidance using the acronym SAIL:
Specific: mention the specific situation/event that you’re referring to. This says: “I’m aware.”
Action Taken: clearly refer to the action(s) the person took. This says: “I saw you.”
Impact: identify the impact that was made through the action that was taken. This says: “you made a difference.”
Link to Goals: illustrate how it mattered in the “big picture” i.e. link it to a higher goal or purpose. This says: “you’re a vital part.”
So, let’s hoist the SAIL and practice with a “before & after” example:
Normal (before): “thanks for all your help with my book” (blah)
Instead…
SAIL (after): “Jenny, thanks so much for reviewing the draft of my book last month (specific). Your detailed editing and insightful comments on my script (action taken) really helped improve my storyline and helped me hit my publisher’s deadline at the end of June (impact). Having someone like you ‘in my corner’ is really making me a better writer (link to a higher goal).”
Make sense? Here’s a tip to jump start yourself: first, pick someone that you can thank in writing (ex. card, email, etc.), so you can intentionally include all the elements. Then, pick people you want to thank verbally, and think of the elements ahead of time. Keep practicing. Before you know it you’ll be a pro at “SAILing thank you.”
Another idea…why don’t you practice right now by writing your own “before and after example” in the comments below. You’ll get started and help others learn to SAIL!
Picture: 
Kathleen Tyler Conklin via Compfight
[…] and motivation. It tells people that we care about them and the difference they’re making. In my June 19 post I gave five tips on how to say an impactful “thank you” using the catchy acronym SAIL […]
What a terrific post. It’s horrible to feel rich, genuine gratitude but then have trouble clearly expressing it and these tips will help me to do just that in the future. Your choice of topics for this site has been excellent and it’s posts like these that I’m finding to be incredibly useful both personally and professionally.
Hello Christopher,
Thanks for your comment on my post. I agree with your sentiment and have often felt the need to say something meaningful but “hamstrung” in expressing it effectively. Glad this could be of help to you. I am following this up with another post to give further examples. Hope these can further support you. Since I’ve just started the blog a few months ago I really depend on & appreciate readers like you who take time to give feedback. It helps me know where to focus and how to provide more value.
Thanks again for your feedback!
JM