It’s Tuesday afternoon. You had a couple meetings, knocked a couple items off your to-do list, and added a couple new ones. It was a pretty regular day. You’re walking out the door, and your boss says, “Thanks for all your help today.”

…

What “help”…?

If you’re in a leadership position speaking to a subordinate, don’t say this. “Thanks for all your help” is reserved for colleagues at the “same level” that step out of their normal job descriptions in a novel or special way to assist with something they otherwise would not have been involved in (stuffing envelopes for a donation campaign, handing out balloons, carrying equipment from room to room, etc.).

If someone literally just did their actual normal everyday job, even if it was above and beyond what you think they otherwise might do in any given day (protip: it probably wasn’t), don’t ever say “thanks for all your help.” It’s incredibly patronizing.

This may sound pedantic, but “great job on _____” is a far better alternative to “thanks for all your help with ____” if you really want to dish out a special compliment.