What Gratitude Can Do to Your Employees and the Workplace

You might have worked for a company for a boss who never seems to know your contributions or value in the entire organization. Regardless of how hard you’re trying to be productive or how you’re always working late at night, there never seems to be any appreciation message going your way.

If this is the case with you, know that you’re not alone. While this experience is not suitable for everyone in this situation, most employees have been there one time or another. They might have experienced being undervalued, ignored, or dismissed.

While this can be frustrating for employees, this can be more challenging when given a leadership role. Many leaders may sincerely appreciate what their teams are doing, but they are unsure how to show their gratitude. Sometimes, the message may come across as rude, or the communication is not just effective overall. There are even situations when leaders may unintentionally undermine their people, which results in poor self-esteem.

This is why incorporating gratitude into a company culture is a must. People feel that they are not just “a cog in the wheel” but a valued member of the organization. Starting an employee appreciation message can be a good idea where managers can begin seeing improvements in the workplace. People tend to perform better when they are appreciated, and they feel valued.

A Case of Showing Thankfulness in the Workplace

A few people may disagree that it would be nice to get appreciation from time to time. However, the question remains whether gratitude is effective? In a book called Leading with Gratitude, many authors have laid out the case on the impact of thankfulness in one’s workplace.

Many workers want to feel that they are doing the right thing and want their work to be appreciated. Showing gratitude is the fastest, most inexpensive, and easiest way to improve their performance and boost their energy.

Essentially, just saying the words “thank you” will cost nothing, and it does not even take three seconds and requires minimal attention. Team leaders and managers can create an environment where everyone goes into action. They leverage the idea of tuning in to the good things that their employees accomplish each day to get recognition. More about employee recognition on this page here.

The book also shows that there’s a connection between employee engagement and showing appreciation. In their most recent studies, the American Psychological Association revealed that almost 93% of the employees feel more motivated to work when they feel valued. Some 88% feel engaged in their work when someone shows them appreciation.

Among these groups, only about 20% plan to look for a new company in the next few years or so. Turnovers and employee disengagements can be expensive. A small demonstration of how an owner or manager values their people by expressing their contributions to the company can be one of the most impactful and accessible ways to have greater productivity and engagement.

While showing gratitude can improve an individual’s work performance, this can also directly impact the team. This will make the firm more sustainable in the future, and the results can be evident with the sales and the customer experience in the marketplace. 

There are benefits when leaders express their gratitude. For one, they are driving their entire organization’s success and improving their day-to-day morale. However, this event will not work if it’s going to be a one-time event. The appreciation should be genuine, consistent, and thoughtful, and this leads to overall productivity and job satisfaction of the employees.

Impact of Gratitude

At a personal level, there’s also a holistic, and positive impact gratitude has on an individual. This is an essential human requirement where people mostly spend most of their time at work and their waking hours away from their loved ones. At the most basic level, everybody needs some sort of validation, community, and interpersonal connection. A culture that is rich in appreciation can meet all these boxes.

One of the cooler aspects of gratitude is that there’s spillover in many aspects of the company. Employees become more trusting with each other, and they tend to help whenever they can. There’s an enhanced sense of self-efficacy, self-esteem, trust, and trustworthiness between everyone else. Gratitude can lead to greater satisfaction not only at work but in life in general. There are fewer reported illnesses, headaches, and higher resilience to stress.

Moreover, there are scientific studies that prove that gratitude can really improve human lives. They tend to spend more time in the workplace. Hearing the words thank you improves psychological and physical health, reduces aggression, opens the doors to more opportunities, enhances empathy, increases mental strength, and improves self-esteem. Get info about improving self-esteem in this link: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/self-help/tips-and-support/raise-low-self-esteem/. 

A sterile and cold workplace can take its toll. When an environment feels safe, inviting, and warm, more employees become happier. A more sustainable and healthier environment can be helpful in the overall company culture.

Why Gratitude is Revolutionary

Gratitude is seeing the positive side of an event, acknowledging the goodness in life, and making people experience a lot. This recognizes many good things that people do, such as their overall success in the workplace and the efforts they make daily. 

Many big companies like Southwest Airlines make gratitude their cornerstone approach to employees. Many have congratulated their employees for their marriage and kids’ recognition, and some have sent cards and flowers. Showing your employees that you care means that you’re concerned about their happiness and health. This is not about eking out longer hours but making sure that they have greater productivity overall.

This is going to make the business more profitable overall. The employees can be more engaged, and they feel that you only want the best for them. This is considered a gateway drug to empathy, and it’s easy to start with, and it’s essentially putting yourself in someone else’s shoes. This can also be a heart opener where people tend to make more conversations with their teams or business partners whenever they are holding something in.