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The Impact of Gratitude in the Workplace

4 years ago #Success

Gratitude is one trait which has a large impact in the workplace. Though it is usually not the first quality to come to mind when thinking about the office, its importance remains. Gratitude is not to be confused with attributes such as “niceness” and “kindness” albeit similar; it is simply the readiness to show genuine appreciation.

It takes a lot of people to keep a company running – every person in your office has a task. It is sometimes easy to overlook others when you are focused so much on your own work. Showing gratitude to your coworkers for big and small things can create a positive ripple effect throughout.

How do you feel when you receive a “thank you”?

A colleague asks you a question via email; you respond, and the conversation is done. A few minutes later, they respond once again thanking you for your time. This last email was unexpected – but it only took a few seconds to send. You feel more appreciated and that small positive effect will influence your mood moving forward.

Building a culture of gratitude

If everyone in the workplace expresses their appreciation for each other and enjoys helping out, the camaraderie amongst employees will increase, along with collective work flow. Not only will everyone be paying forward positive energy – each process will flow more smoothly with the cooperation between each department and ultimately productivity will increase thanks to the positive reinforcement.

Where to start?

As an executive in a high-level position, it is important to establish a culture of gratitude with your peers right off the bat. If you are thinking of implementing it into your already established workplace, start with these methods:

  • First, start to express gratitude for things in your own life before you do it for others. Practice being grateful for one thing a day until you feel comfortable with it.
  • Afterwards, express gratitude at least twice a week at work to start. Doing it for every single favour daily can result in a bit of an overload and may come off sarcastically.
  • Gradually build up from simply saying “thank you” to expressing sincere thanks for a specific aspect. Being precise reinforces the feeling of appreciation that you will give.

 

Are you finding it hard to express gratitude at your current place of work? You may need to start looking for a new position. Find out how LEDR Executive Solutions can help by taking a look at our open jobs.


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