For Thanksgiving, Give Thanks to Your Team

I recently read a crucial—yet admittedly tough—New York Times piece by Jessica Grose: “Young Workers Are Miserable for Good Reason.”

One line jumped out at me:
“Young people feel jobs now offer far less mentorship and more micromanaging.”

Ouch.
But also… fair point.

Because whether an employee is Gen X, Y, or Z, one truth spans all letters of the alphabet:
Everyone deserves mentorship.

Mentorship says, “I care about you, and you matter here.”
It says, “Let’s invest in your growth—not just your output.”

And here’s the beautiful, slightly magical part:
When people know you genuinely care, they become more responsive, more committed, and yes—more human.

It doesn’t require a lot of effort on your part…just time and enough curiosity to ask:

• What’s important to this person?

• What challenges are they carrying quietly?

• What do they want for themselves (even if they’re hesitant to say it out loud)?

In return, mentors often get these reinforcing moments for themselves. There’s nothing like an employee saying,
“Thanks… I’m more organized and confident now. I realize my voice matters.”

It could bring you to tears.

So this Thanksgiving, take a moment to thank your team—
for their loyalty, their effort, their patience, their ideas, and the simple fact that they show up every day trying to make something work.

Thank them for trusting you.
Thank them for allowing you to lead, guide, and learn right alongside them.

Do that, and I promise:
They’ll pay you back in ways that will surprise you.