Boosting Gratitude at Work

We say “thank you” to acknowledge the good things we get from other people, especially when they give out of the goodness of their hearts. We say “thanks” at home, in stores, and at work. If you are a manager, how often do you thank your employees for the good work they’ve done?

But why should anyone thank you for doing your job? 

Because the need for a paycheck is only one of the motivations we bring to work. We don’t just work for money. We also work for respect, for a sense of accomplishment, and for a feeling of purpose. We invest ourselves and our emotions into our jobs, and work affects our emotional state.

Gratitude is a non-financial way to support those non-financial motivations. Thank you doesn’t cost a dime, and it has measurably beneficial effects. As a manager, saying thank you to your employees could give them a strong sense of value. In every workplace and on every team, all people have the desire to feel appreciated and valued by others. Leaders of teams and team members themselves should work to foster a culture of value and appreciation.

Building a culture of gratitude at work is not easy, but it’s worth it. So here are tips for fostering gratitude on the job.

1. Help others develop
   Employees feel valued at work when they have opportunities for growth and development. While promotion opportunities within companies may sometimes be limited, you can still invest in team members’ professional development through training, assignment to new and interesting projects, participation in tasks, and exposure to new and interesting different areas in the company. Employees frequently have skills that extend beyond the position for which the company hired them. Additionally, they typically grow their skills over time. Leveraging their extensive skill sets can lead to greater engagement and satisfaction.
2. Involve employees
   Team members feel valued when they have an opportunity to take part in decision-making, problem-solving, and to use their skills to benefit the organization. If there is a new project in talks, maybe try and get their opinions on it, they will feel a sense of importance.
3. Support friendship and teamwork
   Friendship in the workplace can lead to greater job satisfaction and commitment to the organization and doing a job well. Leaders should encourage teamwork to help eliminate toxic and dysfunctional team behaviors.

Taking the time and effort to create a culture that values and appreciates diversity and similarity within a team can reap great rewards in terms of performance and satisfaction of the entire team. At the end of the day, this standard is really very simple: we all want to feel valued and appreciated. So, in addition, to develop recognition for employees, use a variety of ways to build a culture of gratitude.

Do you have interesting stories of gratitude at work? Share them with us!

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