The Blind Spot in Business Gratitude

In my 40-year career as a business leader, executive director and manager, the greatest and most sustainable lessons I learned is “thank you,” to a working team, can either light a fire of pride or smother morale within a company.  I am currently retired from the global companies for which I gratefully worked – with terrific colleagues and teams.  However, I decided to go back to work in a small, locally owned company and a memo from the new owner to “the staff,” reminded me of The Blind Spot in Business Gratitude. If you are a manager, I hope you find this of value.

Every manager knows to thank their sales team when revenue spikes. They might praise marketing after a successful campaign or applaud operations after a smooth product launch. But too often, recognition stops there.

What about the finance analyst who optimized the budget? The administrative department who meets, greets, answers phones and is the center of office communication? The IT specialist who kept systems running?

This tutorial will help you, as a thoughtful manager, develop a habit and strategy for thanking everyone—not just those in the spotlight. Because when gratitude is inclusive, engagement, retention, and morale rise across the board.

Lesson 1: Shift Your Perspective—Success is a Network, Not a Ladder

The Ladder Mindset
• Gratitude climbs up and down, focusing only on clear wins.
• Departments at the top (sales, marketing, leadership) get the bulk of the thanks.

The Network Mindset
• Every function is a node; success is shared through connections.
• No single win happens in isolation.

Action Tip: When reviewing a success story, ask: “Who else made this possible, indirectly or behind the scenes?”

Lesson 2: Build a Thank-You Map

Before the next all-hands or internal memo, take 15 minutes to do the following:

1. List the visible contributors. (e.g., product, sales)

2. Identify enabling roles.
o Who maintained the systems they used?
o Who processed the invoices?
o Who recruited and trained the staff?

3. Name the invisible champions.
o Culture builders
o Front desk, security, HR, compliance
o Cleaners, cafeteria workers, and vendors

Outcome: A holistic view of contributors that often go unrecognized.

Lesson 3: Use Language That Elevates Everyone

When expressing gratitude, avoid language that creates a hierarchy of importance. Instead of:
“Big thanks to the sales team for driving our success.”

Try:
“Our success was a team effort—from the sales team who closed the deals to the support teams who kept everything running behind the scenes.”

Bonus Phrases:
• “Thanks to every hand that touched this project.”
• “Appreciation goes to both the seen and unseen contributors.”
• “Your impact may not always be visible, but it’s always vital.”

Lesson 4: Create Rituals of Recognition

Make inclusive gratitude a habit—not a one-off.

• Monthly Gratitude Roundups: Ask teams to submit unsung heroes.
• Rotating Spotlights: Feature different departments in internal comms, regardless of headline wins.
• “Thank You Forward” Chains: Encourage team members to thank someone who helped them—and explain why.
• Meetings:
o If you are meeting consistently with a few teams, try to figure out a way to meet with all teams, even if it means to bring everyone up to speed/on the same page.
o No department/person appreciates being the last to know because they are never appropriately briefed on changes, updates or new directions taking place in the company.
o Administrative roles are as important to the business’ success as any other department
o Make everyone feel like a contributor of the business.

Key Rule: Every recognition ritual must be designed to reveal the invisible.

Lesson 5: Model It in Meetings and Messages

Managers set the tone. In your next leadership call or team meeting:
• Pause to name contributors from lesser-known departments.
• Share a brief story of someone who made a quiet, meaningful impact.
• Ask other leaders: “Who else made this possible?”

Remember: Gratitude expressed publicly builds culture. Gratitude expressed privately builds trust.

Conclusion: Thanking Widely Is Thinking Wisely

When you recognize all contributors—not just the headline-makers—you create a culture where everyone feels seen. This is not just good manners. It’s smart leadership. Because people repeat the work that gets recognized, and if you only see part of the picture, you’ll only inspire part of the effort.
So, next time you say, “thank you,” look beyond the obvious. The real engine of your business includes everyone.