Gratitude plays an important role in organisational success. It is a path that leads to enhanced morale, improved productivity, stronger relationships and a happier workplace.
“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
~Maya Angelou
A simple ‘thank you’ is powerful enough to improve your mood and shift your focus from the negative to appreciating what is positive. Gratitude has a powerful ability to impact your life in positive ways. Frequent use of gratitude improves well-being, reduces stress, develops resilience and even makes you more patient.
Showing gratitude in the workplace develops deeper connections not only with each other but with the goals and actions too. You become a better colleague and get perceived as a caring leader as a result. So, take a moment to stop, and say 'thank you' to use gratitude to enhance your work equity and make your workplace more pleasant.
Why Should You Express Gratitude at Your Workplace?
We all want a workplace where team members are polite, kind, considerate, support, and admire their colleagues. When professionals feel grateful, they devote more effort to accomplishing their goals. Saying thanks to someone for their help increases their willingness to help in future also because they feel valued. This phenomenon strengthens the organisation.
Some of the major benefits of the use of gratitude in the workplace are as follows:
● Showing gratitude is the easiest and fastest way to boost performance.
● Expressing gratitude requires minimal time and attention and it costs nothing.
● Create an environment where everyone’s accomplishments get recognized.
● Showing appreciation enhances employee motivation and engagement.
● The use of gratitude at the workplace lowers employee turnover/attrition.
How to Use the Power of Thank You at Your Workplace?
It is clear that gratitude is good for you and your colleagues. Due to the myriad benefits of gratitude in the workplace, you need to show consistent expressions of appreciation and gratitude to your colleagues, but how? Here are some effective ways to use gratitude at your workplace.
1. Say “Thank You” Often
Saying “thank you” may seem like the easiest and most obvious way to show recognition, but it’s also the most effective one. It is a potent tool to express your gratitude and show your colleagues that their work is appreciated and their efforts are acknowledged. Saying “thank you” on a frequent basis improves workplace relationships and uplifts mood, which reflects in workplace performance.
2. Bond with your employees at casual gatherings outside work
Taking your employees outside the office to recognise their efforts and celebrate their collaboration is an excellent way of showing gratitude at the workplace. Organise fun and casual events like family-oriented gatherings, team lunches or formal dinners and so on. Such activities also help to build strong relationships, further strengthening the organisation.
3. Admire Efforts Even When Things Go Awry
Sometimes deadlines are missed, blunders happen, and projects do not end the desired way, but you should not underestimate the dedication and efforts of your team members in such scenarios. Acknowledge their efforts, and admire what they did best. This approach will keep their morale high and they will help identify the things that went wrong and can be rectified or avoided in the future.
4. Organise Team Building Activities
Meet with your team members on a regular basis and organise team-building activities to create a culture of gratitude at work. Such activities give everyone a chance to show they are grateful and to express their appreciation for others. These meetups offer a great way to ensure that gratitude is always top of mind when your team comes together.
5. Give Gifts to Employees on occasions
One powerful way to show your employees that you are grateful to them and care about their well-being and mental health is to give them gifts. Gift them packages containing things like healthy snacks, tea or coffee or a gift card/voucher for a local delivery service. Such gestures can go a long way in making your team members feel appreciated, connected and valued.
6. Perform Random Acts of Kindness
It’s not necessary to spend lots of money or make grand gestures to show gratitude to employees. Sometimes even a small act becomes overwhelming and goes a long way. Make or serve a fresh pot of coffee to your colleagues, assist your colleagues with a difficult task, set a no-meeting day and so on to express your gratitude at the workplace.
7. Create A Wall of Gratitude At the Workplace
Create a gratitude wall at the workplace to write down what your employees feel grateful for. Let them write what they admire about each other’s achievements anonymously. This activity offers an easy way to cultivate gratitude and encourages them to recognize each other more often. They will understand their own and other’s values and it will also boost team morale and strengthen relationships.
Gratitude is a powerful concept and everyone wants to feel valued; it is one of the most basic human needs. Leaders need to show sincere appreciation and gratitude toward their teams. Leaders and teams need to come together and foster a gratitude culture throughout the organisation. It will lead to well-being, engagement and productivity and low levels of stress at work and transform the organisation into a stronger entity.
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Smita D Jain is a Certified Life Coach, Executive Coach and NLP Practitioner. Smita’s ‘Empower Yourself’ Performance Enhancement Coaching Programs enable introverted executives to speak with confidence and communicate with impact so that they emerge leaders sooner than envisaged.
Prior to her journey as a coach, Smita had extensive experience of 14 years as a corporate and business strategy professional with Fortune 500 companies. She is also a TEDx speaker, a panellist cum speaker at various public forums, a published writer, and an Amazon bestselling author.
You can learn more about Personal Empowerment Life Coach and Executive Coach Smita D Jain’s ‘Empower Yourself’ Coaching Programs by visiting www.lifecoachsmitadjain.com and book a strategy session at https://www.lifecoachsmitadjain.com/booking.
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