And one study even found<\/a> that differences in levels of gratitude are responsible for about 20% of individual differences in overall life satisfaction.<\/p>\n According to researchers, gratitude is powerful because it\u2019s a complex social emotion<\/em>. In other words, it\u2019s an emotion that makes us think about others. We can\u2019t be grateful that someone went out of their way to help us unless we stop and think about the situation from the other person\u2019s perspective.\u00a0It\u2019s little wonder that gratitude has also been linked to oxytocin<\/a> \u2014 the hormone associated with social bonding.<\/p>\n Research confirms that organizations need leaders who can show authentic empathy in the workplace<\/a>,\u00a0communicate effectively, and\u00a0create psychological safety at work<\/a>. Skipping gratitude displays low levels of trust and makes it difficult for leaders to create shared vision, motivate employees to collaborate together successfully, and keep talented, engaged employees.<\/p>\n But those who are adept at showing\u00a0kindness in the workplace can improve organizational culture<\/a>. Organizations can boost employee engagement, motivation, productivity, and retention \u2014 as well as their satisfaction and even their health and employee wellbeing<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 when leaders express more gratitude at work.<\/p>\n Showing gratitude in the workplace is particularly important during times of change, precisely because change can\u2019t be done alone. Leaders must display sensitivity to their people\u2019s needs, and emotional intelligence is closely linked to leadership effectiveness<\/a>.<\/p>\n Because gratitude is a complex social emotion, it builds belonging at work<\/a>\u00a0and draws people together in pursuit of a greater vision. For instance, in the fundraising center study, self-reported data showed that callers didn\u2019t make more calls because they felt more confident or more effective. Instead, they made more calls because of the gratitude in leadership shown by their supervisor, which gave them an increased sense of social worth \u2014 feeling valued by others.<\/em><\/p>\n Despite its compelling benefits, leaders expressing gratitude at work doesn\u2019t always happen.<\/p>\n One study found that while about half of people regularly say thank you to their family members, only about 15% of people regularly say thank you at work. The same study found that 35% of people say that their managers have never<\/em> thanked them. This muted expression of gratitude in the workplace compared to other contexts can be thought of as the \u201cgratitude gap.\u201d<\/p>\n Why is there such a gap in terms of gratitude in the workplace context? Wharton Business School professor Adam Grant has suggested<\/a> it\u2019s because people don\u2019t like to admit they need help at work, and thanking someone means admitting that you couldn\u2019t do it all on your own.<\/p>\n Yet a Glassdoor survey<\/a> found that 80% of employees say they\u2019d be willing to work harder for an appreciative boss. And at a study conducted at a fundraising center<\/a>, calls were boosted by 50% after a director thanked employees for their work. Research has even found<\/a> that employees who intentionally practiced gratitude took fewer sick days.<\/p>\n These statistics suggest that gratitude in leadership is important, and organizations who encourage expressions of gratitude in the workplace are likely to reap the benefits of a more engaged, productive, and healthy workforce.<\/p>\n Watch our webinar, Practicing Gratitude: Why Giving Thanks Leads to Resilience<\/em><\/a>, and learn the science behind gratitude and the impact it has on social, physical, mental, and emotional outcomes.<\/p>\n Ready to reap the many benefits of gratitude? Luckily, you don\u2019t need any fancy tools or advanced degrees. Here are some simple things that leaders can do that have been scientifically proven to boost gratitude, at work and beyond.<\/p>\n Research shows<\/a> that writing a letter thanking someone for the positive impact they\u2019ve had in your life is a great way to boost your gratitude. Or, send an email or even a text, if you prefer. Just get a simple message out to someone to share that you\u2019re grateful to have them in your life, let them know that you appreciate them, and that you\u2019re thinking of them.<\/p>\n Gratitude journals are popular these days, and for good reason. Keeping a journal of people and things for which you\u2019re grateful can increase your feelings of gratitude. If you\u2019re not the journaling type, don\u2019t worry; studies prove<\/a> making a short list works, too. Some research suggests that a short list once a week might actually be more<\/em> effective than doing it daily. Just jot down 3 things you\u2019re grateful for on a Post-It note. Stick it somewhere you\u2019ll see it often, and refresh it weekly. (Some people even collect their lists in a \u201cgratitude jar.\u201d)<\/p>\n Studies<\/a> have also found that simply reflecting on the many things \u2014 large and small \u2014 for which you\u2019re grateful can boost levels of gratitude at work and at home. These might include supportive colleagues, mentors, or other relationships and the\u00a0types of support you have available<\/a>; sacrifices or contributions that others have made for you; advantages or opportunities you\u2019ve received; or even just gratitude for the opportunity to have your job, do the work you do, or people you value in general. Going on a short \u201cgratitude walk\u201d is a great way to take time out for this reflection.<\/p>\n During his tenure at Campbell Soup, then-CEO Doug Conant wrote 30,000 handwritten thank-you notes<\/a> to his employees. This practice, along with others, has been credited with how he created a culture of gratitude and turned around a struggling company. Do 30,000 letters seem daunting? Try writing just one a day. To encourage others to do the same, emulate Starbucks and offer unlimited company thank-you cards for employees to use.<\/b><\/p>\n Create a designated physical and\/or virtual space for employees to share shout-outs, kudos, and words of thanks. <\/b>This can be a literal wall or whiteboard in a common area, or given the reality of today\u2019s hybrid workplaces<\/a>\u00a0and remote teams, it might be even better to leverage a shared online platform that everyone can access, like a company intranet or internal newsletter. Be creative!<\/p>\n Make space for gratitude in terms of time, too. You can model cultivating gratitude at work by beginning team meetings by sharing a short statement of appreciation (remember the difference this made in the fundraising center study!).\u00a0Or, try inviting everyone to share one thing they\u2019re grateful for \u2014 it makes a great icebreaker. Or, consider setting aside a specially allotted time in a regularly recurring department- or organization-wide meeting for acknowledgements. A public display of gratitude by leadership is a great way to introduce gratitude into the workplace culture and keep employees feeling appreciated and motivated.<\/p>\n It\u2019s easy to feel grateful when things are going well. But gratitude can have an even bigger impact if you\u2019re going through a rough patch. So, when you encounter challenges, see if you can find the silver lining.<\/b>\u00a0Consider: What did you learn from the experience? What opportunity for growth did it offer you?<\/em> Even hardships offer lessons learned<\/a>. Model for your team the habit of reflecting on what went wrong and extracting lessons from \u201cheat experiences<\/a>,\u201d because being able to be truly grateful even during times of challenge and change is a great way to build resilience and stop spirals of rumination and stress<\/a>.<\/p>\n Encouraging more gratitude at work (like any other initiative) is prone to fail if you just go through the motions. Here are 4 ways leaders\u00a0show more compassion<\/a> and help encourage and express more authentic gratitude in the workplace, modeling more impactful thanks-giving, year-round.<\/p>\n Sometimes, gratitude workplace initiatives can feel like old recognition programs warmed over. To avoid this feeling, focus on social worth<\/strong> and think about how people have made a difference. Give thanks for people\u2019s willingness, enthusiasm, commitment, or efforts \u2014 not just their impact on the bottom line.<\/p>\n Practicing gratitude in the workplace requires thinking about how specific people like to be thanked and tailoring your show of gratitude <\/b>accordingly. A public thanks of a very shy person at the global quarterly meeting might come across to them more like a punishment than recognition.<\/p>\n And a quick \u201cThanks, great work!\u201d<\/em>\u00a0said in passing at a team meeting might be too general, if intended to be your primary acknowledgement of an employee who went the extra mile for months to meet an important company-wide project deadline. Consider what would mean the most to the recipient and show thoughtfulness in your approach.<\/p>\n Saying \u201cThanks for being so awesome yesterday!\u201d<\/em> doesn\u2019t have the same impact as \u201cThank you for getting to the meeting 5 minutes early to set up the screen-share; I know that our meetings wouldn\u2019t go as smoothly if we didn\u2019t have you working behind the scenes.\u201d <\/em>We recommend using our SBI feedback model to give the most effective feedback<\/a>,\u00a0starting by citing the specific situation or context.<\/p>\n Authentic leadership<\/a> and showing vulnerability are key parts of gratitude in leadership. If you can\u2019t think of anything you\u2019re truly grateful for, don\u2019t try to fake it. Most people can tell when an expression of thanks isn\u2019t heartfelt, and expressing an insincere gratitude at work is probably worse than showing none at all.<\/p>\n Research shows that whether you\u2019re an absolute novice or a guru on gratitude at work, everyone can reap the positive benefits of giving and receiving more heartfelt thanks. Gratitude is among the many ways that leaders can take better care of themselves and others, leading to organizations that are more innovative, successful, and prepared for the future. So, get out there and start expressing and encouraging more gratitude in leadership!<\/p>\n Start showing more gratitude in the workplace and beyond: Take our 7-day gratitude challenge<\/a> to start implementing an intentional gratitude practice of more thanks-giving at work and at home.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nShowing Gratitude at Work Helps Individuals & Organizations Thrive<\/h3>\n
The Gratitude Gap in the Workplace<\/h2>\n
Access Our Webinar!<\/h3>\n
How to Show More Gratitude at Work (and at Home)<\/h2>\n
3 Tips for Leaders to Try on Their Own<\/h3>\n
1. Send a note expressing your gratitude.<\/h4>\n
2. Keep a gratitude journal \u2014 or even just a list.<\/h4>\n
3. Take time out for reflection.<\/h4>\n
Fostering Gratitude in the Workplace<\/h2>\n
3 Ways to Leaders Can Encourage More Gratitude at Work<\/h3>\n
1. Offer thank-you cards.<\/h4>\n
2. Make space for gratitude.<\/h4>\n
3. When things go wrong, count your blessings.<\/h4>\n
Make Gratitude in Leadership a Priority<\/h2>\n
4 Ways to Get Great at Giving Thanks<\/h3>\n
![\"Infographic:](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/4-ways-to-get-great-at-gratitude-in-the-workplace-center-for-creative-leadership.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n1. Be grateful for people, not performance.<\/h4>\n
2. Customize your thanks-giving.<\/h4>\n
3. Be specific in your gratitude.<\/h4>\n
4. Don\u2019t fake it.<\/h4>\n
A Closing Word on Gratitude at Work<\/h2>\n
Ready to Take the Next Step?<\/h3>\n