The Power Of Being Grateful For Your Work

Have you ever said “Thank you” because you have a job and you enjoy it? Our work is one of the reasons why we keep waking up every morning and strive to give our best. Not only because it provides us with the income we need to fuel up our living, but it also helps us develop into better individuals. The power of gratitude keeps us pursuing to excel in our job and becomes an asset to the workplace.

What Is Gratitude? 

Gratitude is defined in various ways. Commonly, it describes a state of being appreciative or thankful. It is also something which evokes a feeling of willingness to show kindness and appreciation. Also, it refers to the ability to be very aware of the good things that happen to you, and are never disregarded.

All of us have different ways of expressing gratitude. Of course, the most common is by saying, “Thank You,” “I appreciate it,” and “I am grateful.” However, there are a lot more than that. You can also express being grateful through gestures and body languages. Some prefer to show it with material things such as gifts or money. Others say it with writing, and some others perform acts of kindness.

It is having gratitude that leads to the improvement of total well-being. According to some experts, appreciation can develop and enhance the goodness in life. When a person has the feeling of being grateful, then looking life in a clearer perspective becomes possible. It makes us inspired to do things better and create rooms for improvement. The workplace becomes a haven of people working together towards a unified goal.

The Power of Gratitude in the Workplace

A simple “Thank you” can turn a weary heart into an understanding and loving companion. It gives a feeling of being light-hearted and increased optimism. A thankful person who willingly expresses gratitude has a more natural way of creating happiness and contentment. To understand better how the power of appreciation impacts a workplace, then you need to read the important points below:

1. Gratitude recognizes the whole person. When a person deserves recognition, it is a significant influence on his feeling of self-worth when given the proper acknowledgment. Achievements become more worthy when achieved with a caring and supportive spirit. It recognizes the whole person, not only because of the things you do but on how you respond to the tasks. Gratitude is about appreciating people’s value.
2. Gratitude can vary among individuals. When employers decided to implement recognition in the workplace, it is also essential to be aware that not everyone has the same level of appreciation. Of course, all of us want to be appreciated but not in the same way. Some may prefer to be acknowledged in the form of awards, while some prefer to receive gifts, money, cards, or even letters.
3. Leaders must learn how to embrace gratitude. To be able to express gratitude in the workplace, every leader or employer must first understand how to instill an appreciation in himself. When the value of gratitude is infused in the management, there will be a lot of opportunities to come. The more you practice this with the employees, the more success the company will achieve.
4. Gratitude must be a  part of the workplace culture. In every program, consistency is always a part of a successful program. For instance, infusing a gratitude practice to team meetings or even in internal communications can eventually become a part of the company’s culture. Programs with the sense of gratitude must not be ceased as well. Let’s say a special employee award is given annually that needs to remain that way. These kinds of recognitions help employees keep motivated while working and produce fantastic results.

How Can Gratitude Transform Your Workplace?

As experts always stressing, gratitude is undoubtedly vital in the workplace. Being grateful is linked to more positivity, fewer health issues, a bigger perspective of achieving the goals, and higher satisfaction when it comes to working.

Expressing gratitude to colleagues in the workplace has made improvements in recent times. More and more organizations are recognizing the importance of including recognition in all departments of the company. This brings to a more conducive working environment and develops innovative ways to improve results further. Building a culture of gratitude can transform people’s work lives, thus, creating a stronger connection to each other.

Below are the ways how gratitude is transforming a workplace into a place of motivation, success, and improvement. 

#1 It helps to improve corporate culture.

Sometimes, some workplaces feel like a military camp. That’s even better than a working environment which is full of stress and issues just because people’s effort is not recognized. Some employers do not acknowledge the value of every worker and their contribution to the company. Lack of gratitude can lead to job dissatisfaction, frequent absences, burnout, and poor quality results. When there are complaints and gossiping, this is the time leaders of the organization make an action before the company becomes affected.

When all individuals in the workplace work with gratitude, then the company will start creating a healthy corporate world. It is also proven that people who practice gratitude are more sensitive and are not prone to seeking retaliation when superiors and colleagues give them negative feedback.

#2 It builds teamwork.

When teamwork thrives in the organization, the sense of gratitude is most like the present as well. Being grateful creates a more sustainable relationship, and everyone seems to appreciate each of the team member’s effort. Gratitude invites reciprocity. It’s not only a matter of receiving a response to your kindness, but it serves as a motivation to make people kindly take actions.

#3 Gratitude is a better motivator than monetary value.

Of course, there’s no doubt that incentives are essential motivators for employees. However, it is deemed that these type of motivators can lessen the person’s natural inclination to the job. The good thing is that it was found out that appreciation makes a better motivator. A research conducted by the famous site Glassdoor reveals that 80% of employees prefer to work harder for an appreciative employer. The study also found out that 70% of the respondents said that they feel better about their work and themselves when an employer recognized their efforts and thanked them regularly.

#4 It promotes productivity.

When employees’ efforts are being noticed and given proper recognition, they become more interested in working harder. They keep on persevering and motivating themselves to excel in their jobs. The happier they are in the workplace, the more tasks and projects they can do. Quality and productivity will both increase, and possible issues can be avoided.

#5 It builds the company's reputation.

 A company with loyal and grateful employees can envision themselves to be more successful and the goals set will be accomplished more effectively.

Smart Ways on How to Encourage Gratitude among Your Co-workers

Feeling grateful in the workplace can provide a lot of profound benefits. This can positively affect your personal life and make your job something more of a rewarding part of your living. Gratitude will ultimately create a happier and stress-free life for you. Where can gratitude give most of its positive impact? Well, it can impact more on the office culture and the capability to develop a higher standard of work. 

As an employee, you have various responsibilities to do. And to be able to encourage gratitude among your co-workers, you may consider applying the following points:

#1 Gratitude must come from the top.

A leader or manager must learn that their role is not only to manage and instruct. They also need to motivate and inspire their employees. When individuals on the top of the organizational chart appreciate the efforts made by their subordinates, positive remarks will happen. A simple ‘Thank You’ to an employee’s task accomplished means a lot to them. They feel better, and that will lead them to work harder and appreciate the company more. Every company should have a mission to encourage every team member to feel gracious and appreciative to each other. When successfully implemented, these will reinforce a great working culture in the company.

#2 Gratitude helps to promote quality more than quantity.

Anyone who will show gratitude must be authentic. Because if a gesture of gratitude is not real, that can only cause chaos in the end. It can’t be forced, but the heart can feel it. There may be a lot of people who will say ‘Thank You’ and ‘I appreciate it,’ but how many of them are genuine? That’s why it’s important to point out that the quality of the gesture is far more valuable than the number of times you make the gestures.

Be genuine in expressing your gratitude to people. Being grateful will only bring the most profound benefits when the heart is clean and pure. 

#3 Express gratitude - and make it real, specific

For sure, everyone will feel better when complemented by his/her boss for a job well done, right? It’s like you’ve been awarded special recognition. However, when such a situation often happens for a group and the whole organization, sometimes you can’t feel that the recognition is for you. As you get used to it, there will come in your mind that such praises are not genuine.

Employers and leaders must learn to customize and be specific in giving praise and gratitude. Offering gratitude is not the same as preparing a monthly sales report. The employees can feel that their leaders seem not interested to say ‘Thank you.’ That may even result in a silent lost of respect to the boss. Leaders and employers must strive to carefully look who deserves the praise or recognition and make sure that the person feels that she is valued. 

#4 Of course, show gratitude to other people in the office.

In an organization, there are various departments and other groups of people who are responsible for specific jobs assigned to them. Although there are those groups of people who are regularly receiving recognition and praise, it will also be a great idea to thank those may not be evident in the office. Their work may be undermined in the office, but who knows, once they are being recognized, they will become even hardworking and grateful as well. Every person in the organization has a job. Thus, they also need to be given proper attention.

#5 Acknowledge the small victories just like the bigger ones 

A triumph, whether big or small, is still a victory. And there’s no reason not to be proud of it. Just like in an office or workplace, make sure to recognize and give positive feedback when someone has done a task. It doesn’t matter if she has created a perfect email template or has closed a deal with a big client, both deserves praise and gratitude. The employees who are giving their best deserve something that can motivate them better. 

#6 Recognize both personal and team success

A leader of the team must always be willing to recognize the people behind every success of a project. It’s a responsibility given to them to find out who those individuals are and relay to them how grateful the company is to have them as part of the team. It’s about engaging the team and informing them that they are doing great. Let them know how grateful you are to be working with them. All these can contribute to boosting their self-esteem and for them to get more motivated. 

#7 When you create new opportunities, share it to your colleagues with genuine gratitude.

Every team success comes from personal insights and plans. When a great idea comes into your mind, and you think it will be beneficial to the company, then be happy to share it with your colleagues. You must be thankful that you can generate such ideas and can be a contributor to the company. Also, when other team members are sharing their thoughts, opinions, and feedback, be grateful as well. That only means that your team is having a healthy relationship and is heading the right way.

Expressing how thankful you are for being part of a workplace is not difficult. It can be a great habit as the days go by. The more you practice gratitude in your life, the bigger the opportunities will come to you.

So, don’t miss to say ‘Thank you’ to anyone. Start doing this when you wake in the morning… there’s a lot to be thankful for.