Gratitude is one of those things where regular practice in our everyday lives can genuinely transform our mindset. Expressing gratitude can look like many things. But regardless, showing gratitude and appreciation towards your team can bring them countless benefits.
Summary
- Gratitude acknowledges people rather than their talents
- Can boost mental health and happiness
- Helps build positive relationships
- Promotes increased engagement and higher levels of productivity
- Sets your team up for success
- Creates a healthy and supportive company culture
- It’s a great way to help handle stress!
Taking the power of gratitude to the workplace can help in creating a supportive environment for your team and boosting your employees’ happiness.
We’ll let you know how showing appreciation in the workplace can benefit your team and the key ways to show gratitude at work!
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#1. Expressing Gratitude Acknowledges Your People
Signs of gratitude and appreciation are typically only handed out as a “job well done.” When this happens, these expressions of gratitude and acknowledgment are only applied to the task or objective completed, rather than the person who completed it.
Regularly expressing gratitude and correctly placing this appreciation is essential to helping your employees feel valued.
That doesn’t mean you can’t congratulate someone on completing a task successfully. You can still comment on a fantastic project or report!
Just keep in mind that showing gratitude in the workplace can look like many different things.
Either way, make sure that you are making an effort to recognize someone as a valued human rather than just a corporate number. For example, instead of telling someone, “That report was very well-written,” say, “Your skills as a writer are fantastic – we’re so lucky to have you!“
This shifts the gratitude from being only towards their accomplishments to instead being directed at their abilities as a person!
Easy Ways To Express Gratitude At Work
As an employer and a leader, it’s your responsibility to recognize and reward the efforts of your employees.
Periodically passing out a “good job” won’t be sufficient in the long run. You need to be active in how you express gratitude in the workplace.
Looking to spread some positive feelings and appreciation? Taking steps toward helping your employees truly feel valued and seen is a great place to start!
Here are some other ways you can show your employees more gratitude in the workplace.
- Leave someone a handwritten note to add a personal touch to a congratulatory message.
- Encourage a healthy work-life balance by respecting your team’s time outside work.
- Don’t be stingy in your employee recognition – give personal shout-outs when someone earns one.
- Show your team that we’re all humans, and it’s okay to make mistakes!
- Treat your staff to a company lunch or coffee run (food is always a great idea).
Positive feedback and sincere appreciation can go a long way in creating a culture of gratitude at work.
The Art Of Practicing Gratitude Looks Different For Everyone!
That said, not everyone is receptive to signs of gratitude in the same way. For example, while one employee may enjoy having their hard work rewarded with a symbolic trophy or a company-wide shout-out, someone else may just prefer to receive a simple, heartfelt handshake.
In this case, it’s important to know how your team likes to be appreciated. Whichever way you choose to recognize your employees, make sure it’s personal and meaningful – like with a comedian for hire (wink wink)!
#2. Encouraging Positive Emotions Boosts Overall Health And Happiness
The conscious decision to focus on gratitude and appreciation at work can provide an abundance of benefits that we might not even realize.
On the one hand, showing gratitude to those around you can help instill emotions of trust and appreciation. But on the other hand, when employees feel supported and acknowledged, it can boost their mental health and overall well-being.
But not only those who receive gratitude can benefit from spreading appreciation! Even those who practice sharing gratitude regularly can experience a positive impact on their self-esteem, levels of optimism, and overall mood.
The Benefits Of Workplace Gratitude Extends Past The Workplace
The positive impact of gratitude and appreciation can spill over into almost all other parts of our lives. For example, when employees feel valued at their workplace, it’s bound to contribute to a more complete and fulfilling personal life.
Many employees who feel appreciated at work tend to be more confident even outside of workplace environments. Plus, experiencing work appreciation can help employees manage stress and improve their overall well-being.
When we feel appreciated, it helps our hearts shine and our moods soar!
#3. Improves Relationships And Strengthens Team Bonds
It should go without saying that the best way to strengthen relationships is by acting with kindness, consideration, and appreciation. So when you show gratitude in the workplace, your professional relationships will surely thrive!
Acknowledging your team’s efforts is a surefire way to show them that you are genuinely grateful for their hard work and dedication to their roles. And when employees feel appreciated, it’s much easier to cultivate trusting relationships.
Team bonding activities are a great way to show gratitude and appreciation. They can even go a long way in creating healthy professional relationships. And there’s perhaps no better way to do this than with company events!
Invest In The Power Of Company Events
Showing gratitude in the workplace is active, not passive. You can’t be idle and expect your team to feel appreciated.
So, how can you properly give your employees the recognition they deserve? Corporate events are perhaps one of the best ways to show your team that you genuinely appreciate them while enjoying exceptional entertainment.
Corporate events allow your team to connect with each other and let go of their regular workplace stressors. By expressing gratitude through a corporate event, you can even boost employee productivity and workplace innovation.
Want to make your corporate event one for the books? Invest in a noteworthy and humorous speaker to set the tone for your event. After all, an event without a speaker isn’t really complete!
At Clean Comedians®, our comedy speakers rely on the power of laughter to make your event unforgettable. We also don’t use crude or inappropriate topics that have no place at workplace events. This way, we can also provide an enjoyable experience for everyone in the audience!
With a humorous and entertaining event speaker, you can easily help your employees feel seen and valued. There’s nothing that a little laughter can’t do!
Bonus: 9+ Corporate Speakers With Some Magic To Offer
#4. Boosts Employee Engagement And Productivity
Putting your best foot forward is hard when you don’t see the reason behind your efforts. So when employees don’t feel appreciated or valued at work, it can be difficult to maintain an emotional investment in their work.
Many of us spend five days a week and eight hours a day at our workplace. But when we don’t feel a purpose behind our efforts, we are bound to cut back on contributions and let our minds take a backseat.
Expressing gratitude at work can show your employees that there is a purpose to what they do. And providing a purpose is key to boosting employee productivity and engagement.
Consistent employee recognition leads to increased job satisfaction and employee happiness. In addition, having a sense of purpose is crucial to employee productivity and organizational success.
Building support networks within your company can help employees experience a sense of belonging. It can greatly improve their sense of purpose at work when they can easily connect with others around them and share feelings of accomplishment and gratitude.
Giving Employees The Power To Succeed
Encouraging gratitude is essential for providing employees with the tools necessary to grow and thrive in their roles. In addition, gratitude and acknowledgment are one-way tickets to giving employees the motivation and inspiration to excel at any given task.
Gratitude creates leaders and creative problem solvers. Gratitude also builds resilience and encourages positive thinking.
Without the extensive benefits of gratitude, it would be difficult for employees to discover the power and passion within themselves. Be the one that will instill pride and inspiration in your employees by expressing sincere appreciation!
#5. Cultivates A Fulfilling And Enjoyable Company Culture
Since we were kids, we were taught to use the words “please” and “thank you.” And we were taught to use them frequently.
But studies show that 60% of people either never or rarely express gratitude at work.
That’s an incredibly high number of our colleagues, employers, and employees who don’t get to experience or practice gratitude in the workplace.
It’s even easy to see how these low levels of gratitude at work negatively impact employee engagement. In fact, only 20% of employees around the world experience high levels of engagement at work.
However, gratitude is beneficial for your employees in a number of different ways. But one of the best ways is by influencing your company’s workplace culture.
Employees strongly identify with the place they work at. And if your workplace is actively working to cultivate a culture of gratitude, your team will feel it!
Why Is Company Culture So Important?
Building a reputable, respectable, and healthy company culture is essential not only for the well-being of your employees but also for the sake of organizational success. Without a positive expression of gratitude, your company’s culture is sure to falter.
A great organizational culture is vital for:
- Curating a productive and trusting team
- Properly expressing your company’s core values
- Establishing your organization as a respectable part of an industry
- Retaining top performers and hiring new talent
- Improving employee performance and boosting their well-being
There’s no limit to what a positive and healthy company culture can do for you and your team!
#6. Reduces Stress In The Workplace
Excessive stress and inevitable burnout are the downfalls of passionate employees and workplace leaders. It’s no joke that working to eliminate causes of stress at work is essential to creating a happy and healthy environment for your team.
In fact, studies show that 40% of employees report feeling extremely stressed by their jobs. Stress is a massive part of our lives, and we often neglect engaging in proper stress management techniques.
When employees receive gratitude from their colleagues and employers, it can help reduce the stress they feel at work. In addition, feeling acknowledged and appreciated shows employees that their hard work does not go unnoticed!
By expressing gratitude at work, you are actively helping those around you mitigate their own stress levels. And that is essential to boosting happiness and improving mental health!
Keep Reading: How A Magician Speaker Can Improve Work-Life Balance For Employees
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Adam Christing is a professional comedy magician, virtual MC, and the founder of CleanComedians.com. He is a member of the world-famous Magic Castle in Hollywood and a popular corporate entertainer, magician, and virtual speaker.