By now, most of us have heard that practicing gratitude is good for us. Articles and studies are everywhere from social media to Harvard Business Review. The majority of analog planners include at least a line, if not an entire section, to write down something, or a few things, we’re grateful for. You may even have a gratitude practice in your personal life, but where does gratitude fit in at work?
Gratitude increases productivity and morale.
And increases in these areas directly increase employee engagement and company profitability. According to a study by Adam Grant and Francesca Gino when they had the director of annual giving at a university thank some of the fundraising callers but not thank others, they found that “The weekly call volume of fundraisers in the thanked group increased by 50% on average the week after the intervention took place, all because the director’s expression of gratitude strengthened the fundraisers’ feelings of social worth.”
Gratitude makes people more willing to help.
And when people are willing to help each other and their company succeed, teams run more smoothly. Another article in Harvard Business Review cites professor David DeSteno who said, “Studies have shown ‘that when people feel grateful, they’re willing to devote more effort to help others, to be loyal even at a cost to themselves, and to split profits equally with partners rather than take more money for themselves.’”
Gratitude leads to empathy.
And empathy improves teams. “’I see gratitude as a gateway drug to empathy in that it’s very positive, it’s easy to get started with,’ says [Peter] Bonanno. Being grateful to someone who has helped you means that you recognize the intentions and effort behind their actions, which is good practice for the ‘putting yourself in someone else’s shoes’ involved in empathy.”
Gratitude creates personal benefits that lead to team benefits.
Kira M. Newman at Greater Good cites multiple studies extolling gratitude’s myriad benefits. She writes, “Though research on gratitude has exploded over the past two decades, studies of gratitude at work are still somewhat limited; results so far link it to more positive emotions, less stress and fewer health complaints, a greater sense that we can achieve our goals, fewer sick days, and higher satisfaction with our jobs and our coworkers.”
Because our workplaces are obviously made up of people, what is good for people is generally good for companies. The benefits cited here can all improve a business’s bottom line with happier, healthier workers along the way.
How can you show gratitude in your workplace. How can you lead by example?
Our team of coaches are ready to work with you. Contact us to find out how we can help you increase gratitude and wellbeing for yourself and your team.