Showing appreciation at work benefits everyone.

Engendering a good environment in the workplace doesn’t just happen by accident. It comes from careful planning and layout. It comes from picking the best and brightest in your field. And sometimes, it comes from a healthy dose of empathy and gratitude.

Think back to the last time someone truly thanked you for something. Didn’t it feel good to be recognized for your actions? Feeling appreciated can do wonders for a person’s mood, so it only makes sense that engendering that feeling in the workplace can be a potent morale booster, too.

Since there’s no such thing as a one-person success story, it’s important that you express your gratitude whenever appropriate. With Thanksgiving coming later this week and November being National Gratitude Month, now’s a great time to show the people around you how much you appreciate them. How you go about making people know you’re grateful for their efforts is up to you.

How Expressing Gratitude is Beneficial

It may seem obvious, but there are a number of reasons why you’d want to show gratitude to the people around you at work. Sure, it will generally just feel good to create an atmosphere of positivity, but there’s so much more you can get out of simply showing you’re thankful for everything that gets done every day.

• Boosts morale and productivity. Morale and productivity go hand in hand. According to a study by the American Psychological Association, nearly all of the 1,714 adults surveyed said they felt values reported that they were “motivated to do their best at work.” That same study found that employees that felt appreciated reported “higher levels of engagement, satisfaction and motivation” — all worthwhile traits when fostering a positive work environment. A different study by Harvard University and Wharton found that a simple thank you note from a boss improved productivity “by more than 50 percent.”
• Shows people that their effort is worthwhile. The average person will spend approximately 90,000 hours at work in their life. That’s a lot of time and effort that if it goes unappreciated, can cause some people to feel like they’re wasting their time. By taking a little bit of time to recognize the good work someone’s doing and how it benefits the organization, you’re letting people know that their contributions are worthwhile.
• Creates a positive culture. A positive atmosphere at work can create a domino effect of sorts, as gratitude affects the mental and emotional feelings of those that receive it. There are countless studies that show how being told you’re appreciated at work can boost self-confidence, boost empathy for others, and just makes for a better environment overall.
• Reduces costly turnover. It’s common knowledge that employees that don’t feel appreciated in the workplace tend to look elsewhere for employment. That can cause major issues for you, as having to find a replacement can be a major and costly disruption. A recent study of 200,000 managers and employees revealed that “79% of people who quit their jobs cite lack of appreciation as a major reason for leaving.”
• People become more ethical. One of the more surprising side-effects of creating a culture of gratitude at work is that it could also make for more truthful colleagues. According to a 2019 study conducted by Northeastern University Philosophy Professor David DeSteno, 17% of participants that felt neutral or happy cheated during a game of chance, while only 2% cheated when they felt grateful. As a result, researchers determined that “instilling a culture of gratitude in a corporation or team — one where workers of all levels are encouraged to take time both to feel it and express it — may help the bottom line not only by increasing employee productivity and wellbeing, but also by increasing honesty.”

Ways to Express Gratitude

Just as the rock band Extreme said in their classic 1990 song “More Than Words,” it’s one thing to simply say you appreciate something, but it’s another thing entirely to say it with your actions. While it’s always a welcome gesture for you to simply go up to someone to tell them you’re grateful for everything they do, you can always go the extra mile.

If you want to incorporate expressions of gratitude into the fabric of your company, you’re going to need to make it something that everyone can recognize as well. By doing so, you not only let the person know you appreciate them, but you let everyone else know that such a display is encouraged.

Personalized notes of gratitude can be an easy and personal way to show your appreciation. By personally writing your appreciation out by hand, you’re showing that you’re willing to take the time to sit down and put your thanks down on paper. In our highly digital world, a handwritten note shows a heightened level of commitment and gratitude.

Another great way you can bring signs of gratitude to the workplace is to create a space during team meetings to show appreciation. Setting aside a few minutes during a team meeting to open the floor for everyone to express their gratitude for a colleague not only shows you acknowledge the need to recognize your peers, but it lets everyone get in on the action. Over time, this will create a more cohesive team atmosphere as people continually recognize each other’s importance to the team.

Conversely, you could also show you appreciate their efforts by not holding any meetings one day a week. We all know meetings can be a mixed bag and by freeing up that time during the week, it allows people to have more time to work at their own pace and shows that you respect their time.

Another way to showcase your gratitude is to highlight milestones and share success with leaders. While gratitude should usually extend beyond productivity and results, it’s good to make sure everyone is able to join in celebrating a colleague’s accomplishments. Similarly, it’s important that you as a leader share those accomplishments with higher ups. Doing that for your team shows you care about their successes enough to advocate for their continued success within the company.

Bottom Line

At the end of the day, expressing your gratitude seems like a simple concept. If you show your appreciation for the people around you, good things will happen. Yet by properly conveying your gratitude, you can do more than just make the people around you feel good. Creating a culture where appreciation and gratitude become the norm will always pay dividends in the long run, as morale grows and people realize that their daily efforts are more than simply the path to earning a paycheck.