Cicero stated, “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.” As we enter the holiday season, we are often reminded to express appreciation and gratitude to family, friends, coworkers, and customers. Yet, incorporating gratefulness into our personal and professional lives can have a tremendous positive impact. Practicing gratitude in the workplace creates a more positive atmosphere that can impact engagement and performance.

So, what is gratitude? The word gratitude comes from the Latin word gratis, which means “pleasing” or “thankful.” In modern terms, gratitude is a feeling of thankfulness and appreciation for the good things in life, whether big or small. It can be a response to a gift, help, or favor from someone, or it can be a general feeling of thankfulness for life itself. Each individual may have their own unique way of practicing gratitude. No matter how you show or feel appreciation, it can have astounding benefits in the workplace and for your health.

The Benefits of Gratitude in the Workplace

We may feel comfortable expressing thankfulness in our personal lives to our family and friends, and yet there are benefits to continuing that attitude into the workplace also carry advantages. Many feel it may not be professional to show appreciation at work. Yet, psychology experts acknowledge that even small moments of gratitude, such as saying “thank you” at work, can boost employee productivity and overall happiness, all things that are critical to a healthy and efficient workplace.

When you think about your workday, how often are you expressing gratitude? Do you thank coworkers for their time after a meeting, or do you just get up and leave the meeting? Feeling valued and appreciated is a fundamental human need of employees. Appreciated employees tend to be more loyal, productive, and satisfied in their roles. In fact, research has proved that it can impact a person’s mental and physical well-being, as well as their work performance.

Some of the benefits of gratitude in the workplace include:

Productivity. Expressing gratitude toward employees boosts productivity. In a study by the University of Pennsylvania, researchers discovered that grateful leaders better motivate their employees to be more productive.

Work relationships. Employees have better relationships with their employers when they feel appreciated and valued. Employers who express gratitude toward their employees help create a positive work environment. Additionally, employees who practice gratitude and express appreciation toward one another will have better social interactions that will help boost employee happiness.

Enthusiasm. Employees who feel appreciated by their employers and colleagues tend to be happier and more enthusiastic about their work. They are motivated to do a better job and contribute to the success of their company.

The Health Benefits of Gratitude

Being happy has lasting benefits for our health. Expressions of gratitude can make someone feel happy, benefiting our physical health by lowering blood pressure and risk for heart disease, the number one leading cause of death in the U.S. Happiness can even help someone get a good night’s sleep and maintain a healthy weight.

Experiencing happiness in our personal lives is something we hope for, so why not also at work? When employees are happier, they are:

• More productive
• Are more engaged and committed
• More efficient
• Have more creativity
• More resilient
• Better leaders
• Better at handling conflicts

Organizations that have happy employees are more resilient to setbacks, have less turnover, report fewer mistakes, and have lower healthcare costs. In addition to the increase in work performance, gratitude also helps improve employee health and well-being. Research has found that expressing and feeling gratitude will boost employee health and well-being by:

• Promoting better sleep
• Lowering blood pressure
• Improving one’s sense of mindfulness
• Increasing energy
• Improving one’s mood and feelings of happiness
• Decreasing stress

How to Lead with Gratitude

One way to incorporate gratitude into the workplace culture is to lead by example. By adding expressions and acts of appreciation to your own repertoire, you can inspire others to follow your example. Here are some ways to lead with gratitude:

Practice every day.

Just like anything else, we get better with practice. The more time put in, the easier it becomes. Science tells us that making gratitude a habit even makes us happier.

Make it specific.

When expressing appreciation, be specific as to what you appreciate that your coworker may have done. As an example, maybe someone helped you on a project. Thank them for how their contributions specifically helped you make your deadline.

 Be empathetic.

Understanding what your co-workers did while working on the project can help you understand why saying thanks should be important.

Don’t forget to celebrate!

Acknowledge the little wins and not just the large reasons to celebrate. This is also a great motivator for employees to keep being productive.

Practicing gratitude starts at the top.

When leaders normalize saying thank you and recognizing a job well down, it will be notice by employees at every level. This is leading by example.

Recognize efforts, not just successes.

Sometimes, employee recognition can feel like a competition or performance measure. While celebrating success is important, it is only one metric of achievement. Celebrate efforts, practice, dedication, attempts and hard work.

Do not forget about you. Even the most gracious people sometimes forget to include themselves in the practice of gratitude. It’s essential to remember you’re at the center of your own capacity to be grateful. Self-gratitude is a thankfulness practice that helps you take stock of your own traits and abilities. Constructive and encouraging self-talk is proven to have lasting positive effects on our self-esteem and performance.

Take it offline. In this highly digital world, a handwritten note, phone call, small gift, treat, or greeting can take expressing gratitude to the next level.

Keys to Gratitude at Work

Gratitude is not one-size-fits-all.

Another common pitfall when companies introduce gratitude is assuming that everyone wants to be appreciated similarly. Anyone in a relationship, whether romantic, friendship, or as a colleague, understands that there are different ways to communicate. Each individual’s language of appreciation is different, and we risk miscommunication if we assume everyone likes the same type of appreciation as we do.

Just as successful workplaces are diverse, so are how we communicate and appreciate. We all want to be appreciated for different things because we are all different. Workplaces can bring together diverse people with different types of communication styles, backgrounds, and expertise, and it is our job to recognize our colleagues’ strengths, even if those strengths are different from our own.

Gratitude must be embraced by leaders.

In a culture that prizes hard work and achievement, people can feel guilty and self-indulgent taking the time to meditate at work or rest or breathe to calm down from stress. Yet, getting organization leaders to participate communicates that gratitude and well-being are important. Success, then, is not always measured in numbers but rather in a happy workforce.

Gratitude has to be part of the culture.

A successful employee recognition program has to also be consistent. Award programs are excellent ways to call out employees for dependability, production, attitude, communication skills, and other key aspects. Employees will know if all staff meetings will include recognition of employees or a news cycle that includes employee recognition announcements. All of these examples have promoted a culture of gratitude so leaders can recognize staff and colleagues can recognize peers. It will then become ingrained into the culture to let employees feel valued even if the recognition is not for them.

When we are busy at work, it can be challenging to practice gratitude. It is essential to remember that gratitude is a key factor for living a life filled with positivity. When we practice gratitude, we also show others how they can practice gratitude by being an example. There are so many benefits to having a culture of gratitude at work, from productivity to health benefits.

Not sure where to start. Start with a simple thank you for attending this meeting, thank you for that information, or thank you for working hard on this project. Remember, gratitude is free but can keep your business success.

Thank you.