When was the last time you showed sincere gratitude at work?
When People express gratitude for one another we feel valued for what we do. They made a difference for someone.
A hand-written message of appreciation and gratitude on a post-it note. How easy is that! It took no time at all and it made someone’s day, and perhaps week, month, year!
Imagine if this were common practice, people showing other people a simple gesture of appreciation and gratitude for what they have done that contributed to the (organizational) cause, that made the day for others.
This is an example of culture my friends, this is behavior that engages and bonds people. It is behavior that builds healthy, productive relationships. It is behavior that promotes happiness, and happiness in the workplace matters!
Here’s a bit of science for you, did you know that when shown gratitude, our brains release endorphins, the feel good hormone? Did you know that Gratitude Deficit Disorder (GDD) is common in organizations, globally?
Did you know that practicing gratitude results in stronger immune systems, higher levels of positive emotions and a more compassionate outlook in others? Here’s a great video on the impact of gratitude: Gratitude at work - hearts, minds and the bottom line with Lea Waters at Mind & Its Potential.
Lea shares that studies show that gratitude contributes 25% of job (and life) satisfaction and feeling appreciated and valued at work. Feeling undervalued and unappreciated is the 2nd biggest reason people leave the workplace. Being overworked is the 1st.
Wow, a post-it note of appreciation. How easy is that!
Frank Wander
Frank Wander, a former CIO, is the founder and CEO of PeopleProductive (peopleproductive.com), and the author of Transforming IT Culture, How to Use Social Intelligence, Human Factors and Collaboration to Create an IT Department That Outperforms (Wiley, 2013). This unique book is the first operator’s manual for human infrastructure and will help you successfully transform your leadership style and organization.
PeopleProductive has taken that concept to the human side of the enterprise. We similarly help you find, measure and fix a broad spectrum of behavioral, emotional and enablement issues. For the first time, you can eliminate the inefficiency that holds highly productive people back and measurably increase productivity.
