I was serving on the program committee for my local human resources association and asked to host our speaker for the month. His name was Tom Haggai who was at that time, the Chairman of Independent Grocers Association (IGA). I picked him up at the airport, where his luggage had been lost, took him to purchase a fresh shirt and tie (yes presenters wore those many years ago) and introduced him to our audience in the evening. While those memories are special, it was his personal note to me that came a week later which I have never forgotten. It was the first note of appreciation I ever received and what struck me at the time was that someone with his significant responsibilities would take time to personally acknowledge my hosting him. He followed that note with a copy of a book he authored. I kept the note. His book still sits on my bookshelf over 40 years later.

The experience taught me personal notes are one of the most powerful tools we possess as a leader, and they only take a few minutes to write. Let me be clear, when I talk about a personal note, it means it is handwritten by you to another person. It doesn’t matter how good or bad your writing is, whether you print the words or use cursive writing. The value is you took time to write it yourself.

In this fast-paced world today, you might think, I’ll have someone write a note for me which I’ll sign, or I’ll dictate something to my staff and sign it. While efficient, it isn’t what I’m talking about. It’s not a text either, which later in the day has disappeared because on average we receive 41 texts a day. It doesn’t stand out.  It also isn’t an e-mail from you, which you would take time to type, but sadly it becomes one of the 121 e-mails (national average) we receive every day. Each of those is a way to acknowledge someone, they aren’t wrong. Yet they will never carry the same power of a personal, handwritten note.

Ask yourself, how many personal notes have you received in the past month? My guess is you didn’t receive any, or if you did it might have been one. We see getting something by the US Postal service as antiquated, but it’s why when you receive a handwritten note, it is something special. No one takes the time to write personal notes today, everyone knows that, and when you write one it means they are special.

I’ve done my best to remember with personal notes what others do for me, or efforts that were special. Over the years when I’ve visited members of my staff in their work area, I often noticed one of my notes pinned to the wall of their cubical. Once I even saw it next to their children’s artwork and visible to anyone who visited them. I consider children’s artwork to be a place of honor, so when I saw a note there, I thought to myself, “wow”.  I’ve had people stop by my office, knock gently and say to me, “thanks for your note, it meant a lot to me.”  I was also blessed when sitting across someone’s desk to have them say, “thanks for your note, I saved it here in this file with your other notes.”  Others who didn’t work for me have stopped me in a hallway to say, “thanks for your note” or called me on the phone to acknowledge receiving it.

My point isn’t – “look at me.” The point for you is a handwritten personal note from you is significant, it is usually saved for a long time and creates a lasting memory of appreciation. That’s special.

How do you get started? Start small, set a goal of sending out one or two a week. Look for opportunities that are worthy of a note, a special accomplishment, something above and beyond expectations. Carve out 10 minutes to write a note(s) and send them. After a few weeks of 1 or 2, try doubling what you’ve done. Soon it’ll become a habit.

Don’t look for a thank you, you’re doing it for them. At the same time, don’t be surprised if they say something to you.

Here’s another reason why those notes of appreciation or encouragement are valuable. They always come at the right time, just when someone needed a little boost. I think that’s part of God’s plan to use you to encourage or appreciate someone and his timing is always perfect.

In conclusion, my friends, fill your minds with those things that are good and that deserve praise: things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and honorable. Philippians 4:8